AUG 


Martial's  Wit  and  Humor 


THESIS 

PRESENTED  TO  THE  FACULTY  OF  THE  GRADUATE  SCHOOL  OF  THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  PENNSYLVANIA  IN  PARTIAL  FULFILLMENT  OF  THE  REQUIRE- 
MENTS FOR  THE  DEGREE  OF  DOCTOR  OF  PHILOSOPHY 


BY 
VIRGINIA  JUDITH  CRAIG 


PHILADELPHIA,  PENNSYLVANIA 
1912 


Martial's    Wit    and    Humor 


THESIS 

PRESENTED  TO  THE  FACULTY  OF  THE  GRADUATE  SCHOOL  OF  THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  PENNSYLVANIA  IN  PARTIAL  FULFILLMENT  OF  THE  REQUIRE- 
MENTS FOR  THE  DEGREE  OF  DOCTOR  OF  PHILOSOPHY 


BY 
VIRGINIA  JUDITH  CRAIG 


PHILADELPHIA,  PENNSYLVANIA 
1912 


PRESS  OF 

STEINMAN  &  FOLTZ, 
LANCASTER,  PA. 


PREFATORY  NOTE 

The  writer  desires  gratefully  to  acknowledge  assistance  given 
by  Professor  John  Rolfe  and  Professor  Walton  B.  McDaniel,  of 
the  University  of  Pennsylvania. 


254953 


Martial's  Wit  and  Humor 


The  Latin  poet,  Martial,  is  responsible  for  the  modern  view  of 
the  epigram.  He  so  stamped  his  genius  upon  this  literary  form 
that  from  his  day  wit  has  constituted  its  quintessence ;  satire  and 
broad  humor,  its  keenly  relished  flavor.  It  is  true  that  he  was 
not  the  pioneer  in  his  peculiar  field.  Many  comic  epigrams  are 
to  be  found  in  the  Greek  Anthology  even  if  we  eliminate  the  far 
greater  number  which  were  written  after  Martial's  day  and 
which  owe  no  less  to  his  influence,  than  do  those  of  Prior  or  of 
Pope.  Yet  no  Greek  even  approaches  the  Roman  poet  in  the 
range  or  variety  of  comic  epigrams.  In  Greece  the  epigram  blos- 
somed into  a  perfect  literary  genre  centuries  before  its  charm  was 
in  any  sense  due  to  wit  or  humor.  It  had  speedily  lost  its  ob- 
jective character  as  an  inscription  and  had  become  the  expression 
of  a  reflection  often  indeed  exquisitely  subtle  or  delicately  poetic, 
but  not  incisive  or  satiric.  The  witty  type  of  epigram  developed 
in  a  later  period  among  the  Alexandrines,  was  of  comparatively 
limited  range  and  had  no  power  to  alter  the  early  conception. 
For  a  century  after  the  Christian  era,  the  Greeks  regarded  the 
epigram,  apart  from  the  questions  of  length  and  verse  structure, 
somewhat  as  we  view  the  sonnet.  They  would  have  found  the 
statement  of  Jean  Paul1  that  the  epigram  is  the  boundary  stone 
between  the  satiric  and  comic  most  perplexing  or  even  unintelli- 
gible. In  general,  their  uses  of  literary  forms  have  had  a  wonder- 
ful persistence  and  permanence.  It  is,  consequently,  a  remark- 
able achievement,  that  a  writer  of  another  nation  should  have 
given  to  even  the  simplest  kind  of  poetry,  a  new  character  and 
content. 

In  fact,  like  pure  satire,  the  epigram  as  we  know  it,  is  a  dis- 
tinctively Roman  product.  Its  source  is  that  deep-grained, 
broad,  often  coarse  humor  which  from  earliest  days  was  so  strik- 

1  Vorschule  der  Aesthetik. 

5 


6  Martial's  Wit  and  Humor 

ing  a  trait  of  the  gravest  of  nations,  which  displayed  itself  alike 
on  the  saddest  and  on  the  merriest  occasions,  in  wedding  trains 
and  funeral  processions,  which  refused  to  exempt  from  ridicule 
even  the  victorious  general  in  the  triumphal  car,  which  once  a 
year  turned  life  topsy-turvy  to  show  the  littleness  of  the  greatest 
and  the  greatness  of  the  least.  Its  source  is  that  same  mother 
wit  which  scintillates  with  such  brilliancy  in  the  comedies  of 
Plautus;  which  gave  a  singular  force  to  the  pregnant  epigram- 
matic sayings  of  the  most  Roman  of  the  Romans,  Cato ;  which  in 
later  days  enabled  the  rabble  of  the  circus  or  amphitheatre  to 
rebuke  their  mad  emperors  with  most  pungent  gibes.  How 
significant  of  racial  temperament  that  the  two  literary  forms 
which  the  Romans  may  claim  as  truly  native,  are  pure  satire  and 
the  satirical  epigram!  Of  these  the  humor  was  national  and 
original,  non  Attici  sed  salsiores  quam  illi  Atticorum,  Romani 
veteres  atque  urbani  sales.1 

But  while  among  the  satirists  the  honors  are  divided,  the  epi- 
grammatist, Martial,  holds  a  position  unchallenged  by  his 
countrymen.  In  his  own  intellectual  province,  he  was  first,  we 
have  reason  to  believe,  with  no  second,  except  at  a  long  interval. 
He  himself  names  Catullus  and  Marsus  as  the  greatest  among 
his  predecessors  and  models.2  Yet  the  bitter  invectives  of 
Catullus  show  no  wide  range  of  wit  or  irony.  In  truth,  the  very 
source  of  his  lyric  power,  a  passionate,  fiery  intensity  of  temper- 
ament, would  have  prevented  his  being  a  great  epigrammatist. 
As  to  Marsus,  though  we  lack  the  means  for  judging  positively, 
we  may  form  an  estimate  from  the  fact  that  he  is  ranked  below 
Catullus.  If,  moreover,  he  was  the  same  Marsus  who  wrote  the 
long  drawn  out  epic,3  we  can  hardly  conceive  of  his  having  the 
gift  of  the  light  touch.  It  is  possible  that  the  lost  collection  of 
poems  bearing  the  title  Cicuta  received  the  name  from  their 
caustic  character  as  has  been  inferred;4  it  is  most  improbable 
that  they  showed  a  varied  brilliancy  of  wit.  Besides,  the  pas- 
sages in  which  Martial  gives  these  poets  such  high  praise  should 

1  Cic.  ad  Fam.  IX,  15. 

2 II,  71,  3-6;  V,  5,  5-6;  VIII,  55,  24. 

3  IV,  29,  8. 

4  Teuffel's  Gechichte  der  Romischen  Literatur. 


Martial's  Wit  and  Humor  7 

be  compared  with  those  in  which  he  expresses  his  sincere  opinion 
of  himself.  The  habitual  saneness  and  accuracy  of  his  judgment 
entitle  to  special  consideration  the  claims  which  he  makes  in 
regard  to  his  literary  rank.  Recognizing  the  "Attic  charm"  as 
the  distinction  of  the  Greek  epigram,  he  claims  for  himself  pre- 
cedence in  Roman  humor.1  Again,  he  proudly  declares  that  in 
his  own  field  he  is  second  to  none.2  He  bases  his  title  to  fame, 
not  on  any  serious  poetical  efforts,  but  on  lively  jests  and  spark- 
ling nonsense.3  In  truth,  by  the  originality  of  his  talent,  he 
developed  the  witty  epigram  to  its  full  capacity  and  made  it,  at 
its  best,  a  poem  so  charming  and  piquant,  that  all  other  types 
have  been  forgotten  or  overshadowed.  As  the  satires  of  Dryden, 
the  MacFlecknoe  and  Absalom  trace  their  lineage  to  Lucilius, 
the  glittering  epigrams  of  Matthew  Prior  find  their  literary 
ancestors  in  the  poems  of  Martial.4 

Although  Martial's  wit  and  humor  are  the  real  sources  of  his 
claim  to  a  place  in  the  universal  history  of  literature,  no  specific 
study  has  as  yet  been  made  of  this  phase  of  his  talent.  The  im- 
portance of  such  a  study  lies  in  the  fact,  that  while  each  epigram 
is  an  isolated  unity,  only  the  variety  and  complexity  in  tones  of 
wit  in  the  entire  collection  give  an  adequate  understanding  of  the 
genius  of  the  epigrammatist  and  furnish  the  explanation  of  his 
influence.  At  the  threshold  of  the  undertaking,  we  encounter  a 
difficulty  which  is  involved  in  all  aesthetic  study.  It  is  hard  to 
gain  the  fruits  of  analysis  without  paying  an  all  too  heavy  price 
in  the  loss  of  our  first  fresh  appreciation.  The  difficulty  in  the 
present  case  is  greatly  increased  by  the  character  of  the  compo- 
sition. The  reading  of  many  epigrams  involves  a  continuously 
alternating  tension  and  relaxation  and  soon  exhausts  the  mental 

1 IV,  23,  6-8. 

2  IX  pr.,  5.     Ille  ego  sum  nulli  nugarum  laude  secundus.     Cf.  VII,  99,  7. 

3  I,  i,  3;  VII,  8,  9;  X,  9,  2-3. 

4  One  of  Lessing's  epigrams  illustrates  the  modern  conception  of  the  epi- 
gram as  necessarily  laughable: 

Ich  soil  ein  Sinngedichte  machen, 
Und  habe  keinen  Stoff  zum  Lachen, 
Doch  wahrlich  Stoff s  genuch  zum  Lachen, 
Ich  soil  ein  Sinngedichte  machen. 


8  Martial's  Wit  and  Humor 

elasticity.  Martial  well  knew  that  appreciation  is  impossible 
when  this  point  is  reached,  and  repeatedly  urged  his  friends  to 
read  only  a  few  at  a  time.1  He  recognized  what  many  people 
forget, — that  the  epigram  has  its  place  in  literature  only  in  so  far 
as  it  is  read  and  regarded  as  a  poem  of  the  occasion.  His  attitude 
would  have  been  expressed  in  Holmes'  words: 

"I'm  a  florist  in  verse,  and  what  would  folks  say 
If  I  came  to  a  party  without  my  bouquet?" 

This  inherent  limitation  is  similarly  recognized  in  Lessing's 
distich : 

"Weiss  uns  der  Leser  auch  fur  unsre  Kiirze  Dank? 

Wohl  kaum!     Denn  Kiirze  ward  durch  Vielheit!  leider  lang." 

The  consequent  difficulty  must  be  met  by  a  greater  effort  to  view 
each  epigram  with  entire  mental  freedom  and  to  retain  the  keen 
enjoyment  even  while  we  are  analyzing  and  combining  the  many 
comic  effects.  A  second  great  difficulty  arises  from  the  complex- 
ity of  these  effects.  In  one  epigram  our  poet  sometimes  has  five 
or  six  complete  laughable  turns  or  resolutions,  and  in  one  resolu- 
tion almost  as  many  different  kinds  of  comic  contrast.  Our  only 
plan  can  be  to  consider  broadly  the  simple  varieties,  the  com- 
binations of  many  varieties  in  single  poems,  as  well  as  the  more 
general  tones  of  satire  pervading  his  entire  work. 

The  original  character  of  the  composition  explains  why  it  was 
natural  that  the  ludicrous  type  should  ultimately  predominate. 
Lessing  shows  that  the  epigram  has  never  lost  the  features  which 
it  derived  from  its  early  use  as  an  inscription.2  A  statue,  pillar, 
or  tablet  awakened  the  curiosity  of  the  wayfarer  and  the  verses 
which  he  paused  to  read  answered  his  mental  inquiry.  When  the 
verses  were  used  apart  from  the  material  object,  a  situation  had 
to  be  described  for  the  purpose  of  arresting  attention  and  arousing 
interest.  Thus,  according  to  Lessing,  an  epigram  consists  of  two 
indispensable  elements, — a  clear  setting  forth  of  circumstance  or 
incident  in  such  a  way  as  to  awaken  expectation  and  a  conclu- 
sion which  in  some  unforeseen  way  gratifies  the  expectation. 

UV,  29;  X,  i. 

2Zerstreute  Anmerkungen  iiber  das  Epigramm  und  einige  der  vornehm- 
sten  Epigrammatisten. 


Martial's  Wit  and  Humor  9 

Lessing  has  not,  however,  pointed  out  the  singular  relation  be- 
tween his  definition  and  the  essence  of  the  ludicrous.  The  fact 
is  that  the  ludicrous  implies  elements  which  are  similar  to  those 
named  above  and  which  appear  in  the  same  order.  Properly 
interpreted,  Kant's  description  of  the  subjective  process  involved 
in  the  laughable  is,  if  not  definitive,  at  least  entirely  true  as  far 
as  it  goes:  "Das  Lachen  ist  ein  Affect  aus  der  plotzlichen  Ver- 
wandlung  einer  Erwartung  in  Nichts. M1  The  curious  correspon- 
dence between  these  two  definitions  shows  how  peculiarly  appli- 
cable was  the  comic  content  to  the  epigrammatic  form.  Further- 
more, the  primitive  function  of  the  epigram  stamped  it  as  con- 
crete and  specific.  Concreteness  is  also  a  vital  quality  of  the 
ludicrous.  The  limited  space  of  the  stone  and  the  need  of  econ- 
omizing labor  made  it  necessary  that  the  inscription  should  be 
brief.  Brevity  is  likewise  inseparable  from  wit.  Thus  we  can 
see  the  inherent  fitness  of  the  epigram  for  the  development  which 
was  given  to  it  by  Martial. 

It  is  desirable  that  we  precisely  define  the  ludicrous  in  order  to 
understand  any  particular  form  that  it  may  take.  The  most 
satisfactory  definition  is  that  given  by  Vischer  in  elaborating  the 
statement  of  Kant :  Veranlasst  ist  die  Erwartung  durch  ein  sich 
ankiindigendes  im  mehr  oder  minder  pathetischen  Schwunge 
begriffenes  Erhabene ;  aufgelost  wird  sie  durch  das  Bagatell  eines 
bios  der  niederen  Erscheinungswelt  angehorenden  Dings,  das 
diesem  Erhabenen,  vorher  verborgen,  nun  auf  einmal  unter  die 
Beine  gerath  und  es  zu  Falle  bringt.  "2  This  definition  is  in 
reality  identical  with  that  of  Aristotle:  To  yeXotov  eo-nv  a^dprrj^d 
TL  Kat  ato-^os  avwSwov  K<U  ov  <f>OapTiKov.3  In  other  words,  the  laugh- 
able is  always  an  unexpected  contrast  between  perfection  or 
completeness,  previously  conceived  by  the  mind  with  or  without 
the  aid  of  external  presentation,  and  imperfection  or  incom- 
pleteness of  too  trifling  a  character  to  cause  serious  emotion. 

1  We  must  not  fail  to  realize,  as  some  of  Kant's  critics  have  done,  that  the 
term  "Nichts"  is  used  with  reference  to  the  mental  attitude.     He  says: 
"Man  muss  wohl  bemerken  dass  sie  (d.h.,  die  Erwartung)  sich  nicht  in  das 
positive   Gegentheil  eines  erwarteten  Gegenstandes — denn   das  ist  immer 
etwas  und  kann  oft  betriiben —  sondern  in  nichts  verwandeln  miisse." 

2  Aesthetik. 
8  Poetics. 


io  Martial's  Wit  and  Humor 

Its  scope  is  as  broad  as  human  life.  It  takes  many  forms.  It 
often  appears  as  an  uninvited  guest  at  the  most  dignified  and 
stately  ceremonies.  It  has,  in  fact,  an  especial  fondness  for 
such  occasions.  The  littleness  of  men  is  most  likely  to  be  re- 
vealed where  they  desire  to  seem  great. 

The  comic  in  Martial  is  of  many  types.  The  simplest  sort, 
which  finds  its  material  in  the  realm  of  sense  perception,  is  the 
main  source  of  amusement  in  some  very  enjoyable  epigrams.  It 
is  true  that  the  purely  elementary  comic,  apart  from  stage  repro- 
duction, has,  in  a  sense,  no  existence  in  literature:  given  indirect- 
ly through  the  medium  of  words,  it  ceases  to  be  the  elementary 
comic.  Any  literary  presentation  bears  the  same  relation  to  the 
ludicrous  of  sense  perception  that  a  painting  bears  to  nature. 
The  selection  involved  in  the  transference  to  canvas  corresponds 
to  the  element  of  wit.  Just  as  a  painting  reveals  life  to  us,  some- 
times shows  us  "things  we  have  passed  perhaps  a  hundred  times 
nor  cared  to  see,"  so  wit  seizes  on  the  essential  contradiction  of 
some  incident  that,  in  the  real  world,  might  not  appear  laughable 
to  the  observer  and  reflects  it  as  upon  a  screen.  But,  though 
this  artificial  element  is  always  present,  it  is  often  very  slight. 
Epigram  8  in  Book  V  shows  Martial's  art  in  gaining  his  effect 
mainly  from  the  natural  comic  itself.  He  pictures  an  incident 
which  he  had  doubtless  witnessed  in  one  of  the  theatres  of  Rome. 
Phasis,  wearing  splendid  purple  robes,  occupied  one  of  the  seats 
reserved  for  the  knights.  He  proudly  leaned  back,  cast  haughty 
glances  at  the  common  people  behind,  and  congratulated  his 
neighbors:" At  last  we  can  sit  with  some  comfort;  the  mob  can  no 
longer  crowd  us  and  soil  our  clothing."  While  he  was  boasting 
in  this  fashion,  the  usher  bade  those  proud,  purple  robes  move 
elsewhere.  In  the  conclusion,  Illas  purpureas  et  adrogantes 
iussit  surgere  Leitus  lacernas,  the  word  lacernas  gives  ad- 
ditional saliency  because  it  is  the  very  epitome  of  the  man's 
superciliousness.  But  most  of  our  amusement  is  caused  by  the 
clear  portrayal  of  the  incident. 

The  lowest  forms  of  the  elementary  comic,  that  which  is  de- 
pendent on  bodily  deformity,  often  furnishes  Martial  with  sub- 
ject matter  or  background.  He  knew  that  there  is  a  great  deal 
of  broad  fun  to  be  found  in  physical  oddities.  He  has  not  de- 


Martial's  Wit  and  Humor  n 

scribed  them  at  length,  but  has  used  them  for  the  most  part  as 
material  for  witty  jest,  as  Rostand  used  the  great  nose  of  Cyrano. 
He  had  a  remarkably  keen  eye  for  those  deformities  which  appeal 
to  people  as  most  ridiculous.  His  favorite  theme  is  baldness.1 
Great  as  is  our  appreciation  of  the  fanciful  wit  in  V,  49,  it  is  the 
vivid  suggestion  of  the  man's  appearance  that  to  a  large  extent 
appeals  to  our  risibility:  "When  I  saw  you  sitting  alone  a  minute 
ago,  Labienus,  I  thought  there  were  three  people  on  the  bench. 
The  clusters  of  hair  on  your  bald  head  were  the  cause  of  my  mis- 
take. On  each  side  of  your  head  are  such  locks  as  might  be  the 
pride  of  a  young  man.  But  there  is  not  a  hair  down  the  long 
middle  space.  The  sort  of  mistake  which  I  made  gave  you  an 
advantage  last  December,  when  the  Emperor  gave  away  dinners : 
you  carried  off  three  baskets.  You  are  a  perfect  Geryon.  My 
advice  is  to  keep  away  from  the  porticus  of  Philippus ;  if  Hercules 
gets  a  glimpse  of  you,  you  are  a  dead  man.  "2 

A  step  higher  than  such  a  simple  comic  picture  of  bodily  de- 
formity3 is  caricature,  a  decided  emphasis  or  exaggeration  of  a 
defect  not  ordinarily  evident  to  the  apprehension  of  the  observer. 
The  epigram  on  Canius  Rufus4  is  a  notable  instance.  Remark- 
able skill  is  shown  in  the  securing  of  emphasis  without  impairing 
the  faithfulness  of  the  picture:  the  many  possible  important 
occupations  in  which  Rufus  may  be  engaged  are  brought  into 
contrast  with  the  mere  word,  Ridet.  The  epigram  is  especi- 
ally agreeable  on  account  of  the  sympathetic  tone  and  is  in 
striking  contrast  with  the  similar  one  of  Catullus,  which  may  have 
suggested  the  idea  to  Martial.  Such  an  instance  of  wholly 
friendly  and  good-natured  caricature  will  never  lose  its  appeal. 

Parallel  to  this  simplest  comic  of  sight,  the  comic  of  sound  is 
the  source  of  entertainment  in  IV,  55.  Martial  rehearses  the 
uncouth  and  foreign-sounding  names  of  Spanish  country  towns 
with  keen  enjoyment  of  the  droll  effect.  He  is  .aware  that  the 

1  VI,  57;  X,  83;  XII,  7;  XII,  89;  XIV,  25. 

2  This  line  is  so  translated  by  Post. 

3  Other  epigrams  dealing  with  physical  peculiarities  are  the  following: 
V,  43J  VI,  12;  XII,  23;  III,  43;  IV,  36;  I,  19;  VI,  74;  VIII,  57;  II,  35;  HI,  39; 
IV,  65;XII,  22;  XII,  54. 

4  III,  20.     Cf.  I,  69. 


12  Martial's  Wit  and  Humor 

reader  is  smiling,  but  he  has  in  store  a  climax  which  is  a  complete 
reversal:  Haec  tarn  rustica  malo,  quam  Butuntos.  The  same  sort 
of  amusement  is  afforded  by  the  queer  sounds  of  this  poem  as  by 
the  polysyllabic  rhymes  of  Butler's  Hudibras  or  of  Lowell's 
Fable  for  Critics.  In  certain  poems  the  ludicrous  sounds  are  the 
more  effective,  because  they  are  introduced  entirely  incidentally. 
A  Roman  ear  would  have  been  peculiarly  alert  to  the  absurdity 
of  the  tmesis  in  Argiletum1  or  of  the  Greek  change  of  quantity  in 
'Apes  "Apes.2 

The  comic  of  situation  is  found  in  some  very  good  epigrams. 
It  implies  an  unsuitable  or  unfortunate  position  which  entails  no 
serious  consequences.3  In  life,  the  common  illustrations  are  a 
fall  in  a  public  place  or  a  chase  after  a  hat  in  a  high  wind.  In 
VII,  27,  Martial  tells  of  a  boar  which  has  been  presented  to  him 
by  a  friend.  It  is  a  magnificent  specimen,  but  is  so  large  in  com- 
parison with  the  size  of  his  pocketbook,  that  he  would  be  bank- 
rupt if  he  bought  the  necessary  spices.  Thus  he  is  forced  to 
return  it  to  the  giver.  A  still  more  interesting  illustration  is 
found  in  V,  35.  The  richly  clad  Greek  in  the  theatre  was  boast- 
ing of  his  fabulous  revenues  and  far  reaching  pedigree,  when  sud- 
denly a  great  door-key  fell  from  the  fold  of  his  toga.  The  poet's 
one  comment  on  the  betrayal  of  the  man's  pretensions, — "  Num- 
quam,  Fabulle,  nequior  fuit  clams,"  is  itself  the  reflection  of  the 
thought  of  the  spectators  and  is  dependent  on  the  psychological 
principle  that,  whenever  we  are  the  sport  of  accident  or  chance, 
we  unconsciously  assign  a  malicious  purpose  to  the  instruments 
in  our  fall. 

The  field  of  the  comic  in  Martial  includes,  indeed,  almost  every 
incongruity  that  can  be  observed  in  the  world  around  us. 
Another  simple  type  is  the  unsuitable  adaptation  of  means  to 
end,4  as  in  the  description  of  the  eight  servants  loaded  down  with 
the  bulky,  but  worthless,  gifts  of  the  Saturnalia.5  A  more  pure- 

1I,  117,  9;  II.  17,3- 

2  IX,  11,  15.     Cf.  I,  50;  I,  100;  IV,  31,  10. 

3  v,  38;  vi,  77;  vn,  37;  vni,  75;  xn,  76. 

4  The  comic  of  unintentional  self -betrayal  found  in  I,  85  and  IX,  96  is  simi- 
lar. 

6VIL53. 


Martial's  Wit  and  Humor  13 

ly  intellectual  contradiction  of  the  same  character  is  that  between 
the  aim  and  practice  of  a  vocation.  In  XII,  72  we  have  such  a 
contrast  given  in  double  form: 

Frumentum,  milium,  tisanamque  fabamque  solebas 
Vendere  pragmaticus,  nunc  emis  agricola. 

The  farmer  who  buys  his  vegetables  in  the  city  is  frequently  ridi- 
culed by  Martial.1  The  law's  delays,2  the  heavy  charges  of  law- 
yers,3 and  the  corruption  of  judges4  are  cleverly  touched  upon. 
But  the  favorite  target  is  the  deadly  doctor.5  One  of  the  simplest 
of  the  epigrams  aimed  at  the  physician,  who  kills  his  patients,  is 
the  more  trenchant  from  its  very  naturalness:  "I  was  slightly 
indisposed.  You  paid  me  a  visit,  Symmachus,  and  brought  a 
hundred  of  your  medical  students  with  you.  My  pulse  was  felt 
by  a  hundred  hands  that  were  chill  from  the  north  wind.  Then 
I  was  free  from  fever,  Symmachus;  I  have  fever  now."6  Again, 
with  great  zest,  Martial  assures  his  readers  that  Diaulus,  who  has 
been  a  physician  and  is  now  an  executioner,  has  really  made  no 
change  in  his  occupation.7 

At  times,  a  comic  impression  is  produced  by  pushing  an  ab- 
surdity to  an  extreme,  as  in  the  distich  :8 

Sutor  cerdo  dedit  tibi,  culta  Bononia,  munus, 
Fullo  dedit  Mutinae;  nunc  ubi  copo  dabit? 

The  long  rehearsals  of  the  noises,  which  assail  one's  ears  in  Rome,9 
and  of  the  many  demands  on  one's  time,10  are  also  examples  of 
the  ludicrous  of  accumulation.11 

Martial  is  undoubtedly  an  adept  portrayer  of  the  ludicrous. 
Is  he  also  a  true  humorist?  Before  we  consider  the  question,  we 
must  seek  to  answer  that  other  question :  What  is  humor?  "The 

Mil,  47;  HI,  58,  45-5i;  VII,  31. 

2  VII,  65. 

3  VIII,  16.    Cf.  XIV,  219. 
4 II,  13- 

5  VI,  53;  IX,  96;  X,  77. 
6V,9. 

7  I,  30.    Cf.  I,  47;  VIII,  74. 

8  HI,  59- 

9  XII,  57- 
10X,7o. 

11  Cf.  II,  7;  IV,  46;  V,  24;  VII,  87;  X,  56;  XI,  31 ;  XII,  94. 


14  Martial's  Wit  and  Humor 

ludicrous"  and  "humor"  are,  indeed,  so  often  used  as  synonyms 
in  popular  English,  that  the  average  person  recognizes  no  real 
distinction  between  the  two  qualities  in  literature,  and  has  only  a 
vague  idea  that  the  ludicrous  is  a  lower,  humor  a  higher,  form  of 
the  same  thing.  On  the  other  hand,  most  of  the  great  writers  on 
aesthetics  hold  that  there  is  an  absolute  distinction, — that  while 
the  ludicrous  or  comic  portrays  incompleteness,  imperfection 
assuming  itself  to  be  complete  and  perfect,  humor  combines  and 
contrasts  the  comic  with  the  sublime.  Yet,  after  all,  is  not  the 
average  person  more  nearly  correct  ?  Is  not  the  difference  between 
the  ludicrous  and  humor  one  of  degree  rather  than  of  kind?  The 
admission  of  the  writers  on  aesthetics  that  there  can  be  nothing 
incomplete  except  with  reference  to  a  norm,  an  ideal,  shows  that 
the  contrast  in  the  ludicrous,  though  far  lower,  is  of  the  same 
character  as  that  involved  in  the  greatest  humor.  Humor  is 
simply  the  ludicrous  given  a  wider  application.  It  is  a  tone  of 
recognition  that  a  particular  error  or  distortion  is  but  a  fragment 
of  human  life,  of  human  weakness.  When  Rip  Van  Winkle  re- 
iterates his  declaration,  "I've  swore  off,"  and  even  at  the  same 
moment  puts  the  glass  to  his  lips,  the  picture  is  humorous  be- 
cause of  its  immense  suggestiveness ;  it  involves  a  feeling,  in  weak- 
er or  stronger  degree,  that  the  contradiction  between  action  and 
words  is  not  confined  to  Rip  Van  Winkle.  This  essential  charac- 
teristic is  suggested  in  the  words,  "perpetual  comment,"  of 
Lowell's  definition:  "Humor  in  its  highest  level  is  the  sense  of 
comic  contradiction  which  arises  from  the  perpetual  comment 
which  the  understanding  makes  upon  the  impressions  received 
through  the  imagination.  "J  Humor  is  thus  primarily  subjective ; 
it  is  a  viewpoint  of  the  individual ;  it  is  reflected  as  a  quality  in 
literature  and  brings  the  reader  to  that  same  point  of  view.  To 
define  it  more  sharply  is  to  deny  it  that  range  which  properly 
belongs  to  it.  It  is,  in  truth,  of  manifold  shading,  capable  of  in- 
cluding many  elements,  which  have  belonged  in  various  degrees 
of  richness  to  men  of  every  age.  It  should  not  be  so  defined  as  to 
rule  out  every  form  inferior  to  those  finest  varieties  found  in 
Shakespeare,  Cervantes,  Sterne,  or  Heine.  The  only  sharp  line 
between  the  elementary  comic  and  humor  is  due  to  the  fact  that 
*  Century  XXV,  124. 


Martial's  Wit  and  Humor  15 

the  limitation  of  the  former  to  the  realm  of  sense  perception, 
excludes  per  se  the  universal  note.  On  the  other  hand,  humor 
can  deal  only  with  a  theme  which  involves  a  feeling  that  the  par- 
ticular weakness  is  typical,  and  the  only  theme  which  answers 
this  requirement  is  incongruity  of  character.  Thus,  to  use 
Lander's  words,  "humor  is  wit  appertaining  to  character."1 

If  Martial  had  no  other  claim  to  the  rank  of  humorist,  he 
would  deserve  the  title  by  virtue  of  his  character  portraits  alone. 
The  long  gallery  contains  a  most  varied  collection.  What  di- 
verting pictures  he  has  given  us  of  the  would-be  poet,2  of  the  per- 
sistent dinner-hunter,3  of  the  grandiloquent  pleader.4  He  points 
out  a  splendidly  attired  Roman,  who  is  followed  by  handsome 
slaves  bearing  a  new  sedan  chair,  and  tells  us  that  the  dandy  just 
pawned  a  ring  for  money  to  buy  his  dinner.5  He  calls  our  atten- 
tion to  a  pompous  lawyer  reading  legal  papers  with  the  gravity  of 
a  Cato  and  informs  us  that  the  learned  man  cannot  say  "How  do 
you  do?"  in  either  Greek  or  Latin,  without  failing  to  pronounce 
the  "  h.  "6  He  shows  us  a  millionaire,  who,  after  spending  hours 
in  the  inspection  of  rich  furniture,  vases,  statues,  and  gems,  ends 
the  day  by  purchasing  two  cups  for  a  penny  and  carrying  them 
home  himself.7  The  epigram  cannot,  of  course,  admit  any  com- 
plex development  of  humorous  character  and  must  present  only 
single  traits.  In  fact,  a  mere  delusion  may  be  the  subject. 
"Oppianus  became  pale,"  says  Martial,  "and  therefore,  he 
immediately  turned  to  writing  poetry."8  But  though  the  epi- 
grammatist had  to  confine  himself  to  a  particular  foible,  he  has 
succeeded  in  making  each  character  intensely  vivid  and  irresist- 
ibly amusing.9 

1  The  use  of  the  word  "wit"  is  not  scientific  but  the  statement  taken  as  a 
whole,  is  clear  and  correct. 

2  HI,  44- 

3  II,  14;  II,  27;  XII,  82. 

4  VI,  19. 

5  II,  57. 
6V,5i. 

7  IX,  59- 

8  VII,  4.     Cf.  IV,  62;  VII,  13. 

9  Cf.  I,  33J  I,  86;  I,  89;  I,  97;  I,  100;  II,  16;  II,  40;  II,  43;  II,  445  H,i69; 
II,  74J  HI,  22;  III,  45;  III,  48;  III,  50;  IV,  26;  IV,  37;  IV,  78;  IV,  79;  IV,  83; 


1 6  Martial's  Wit  and  Humor 

In  some  respects,  we  must  feel  that  his  humor  shows  deficien- 
cies. We  too  often  miss  the  rich,  genial  sympathy  which  should 
be  a  corollary  from  the  humorous  breadth  of  view.  We  may, 
indeed,  question  whether  humor  is  necessarily  kind  and  friendly. 
The  definition  given  by  Thackeray1  that  it  consists  of  "wit  and 
love"  is  possibly  disproved  just  because  it  would  lead  to  the  false 
conclusion,  that  such  a  writer  as  Swift  is  not  a  humorist.  How- 
ever, we  do  undoubtedly  regard  sympathy  as  the  associate  of 
humor  and  we  must  regret  that  there  is  not  more  of  it  in  Martial. 
He  does,  nevertheless,  occasionally  show  a  decided  affection  for 
the  subject  of  his  jest.2  He  is  amused  by  the  extreme  fondness  of  a 
certain  friend  for  his  poems.  "  Auctus  is  really  not  my  reader, " 
he  tells  us,  "but  my  book.  For  he  knows  all  the  epigrams  by 
heart.  If  you  go  to  see  him  in  the  afternoon  when  his  work  is 
over,  he  will  repeat  them  to  you.  If  you  eat  dinner  with  him, 
while  you  drink  your  wine,  he  will  continue  to  repeat  them. 
Though  you  may  be  tired  of  them,  he  will  still  repeat  them. 
Even  when  you  frankly  tell  him  that  you  have  heard  enough,  he 
will  keep  on  repeating  them."3  The  friendly  tone  of  banter 
ringing  through  these  lines  would  probably  be  more  frequent,  if 
it  were  capable  of  being  combined  with  epigrammatic  staccato. 
But  the  diffused  light  of  humor  makes  the  flash  of  wit  appear  less 
brilliant. 

Martial's  humor  suffers  much  more  from  his  lack  of  moral 
standards  and  ideals  Jean  Paul  shows  that  the  greatest  humor- 
ist is  the  man  who  is  at  the  same  time  idealist  and  realist,  who 
makes  us  revere  dignity  and  nobility  even  while  he  is  entertain- 
us  with  delineations  of  weakness  and  inconsistency.  The  charm 
of  Goldsmith  and  Dickens  is  their  power  to  portray  limitations  of 
character,  so  that  we  cannot  restrain  our  laughter  and  at  the 
same  time  to  reveal  such  worth  and  goodness,  that  we  are  filled 

IV,  85;  V,  14;  V,  17;  V,  27;  V,  50;  V,  51 ;  V,  54;  VI,  35;  VI,  63;  VI,  72;  VI,  78; 
VI,  88;  VI,  94;  VII,  20;  VII,  39;  VII,  46;  VII,  51;  VII,  54;  VII,  78;  VII,  86; 
VIII,  6;  VIII,  7;  VIII,  59;  VIII,  64;  VIII,  79;  VIII,  81 ;  IX,  35;  IX,  46;  X,  10; 
X,  54;  X,  80;  XI,  59;  XII,  28;  XII,  41;  XII,  66;  XII,  70;  XII,  87;  XII,  90. 

1  Charity  and  Humor. 

*IV,  31  ;V,  27;  X,  80. 

8  VII,  51. 


Martial's  Wit  and  Humor  17 

with  admiration.  A  comparison  of  Martial  with  such  humorists 
as  these  would,  indeed,  be  manifestly  unfair.  But  even  though 
we  judge  him  by  a  less  exacting  standard,  we  feel  his  deficiency 
in  ideals  painfully  enough.  He  suffers  sadly  from  a  comparison 
with  his  own  countryman,  Horace.  He  seems  to  have  had  little 
capacity  for  intense  admiration  or  deep  reverence. 

But  if  we  turn  to  the  opposite  pole,  no  humorist  has  been  a 
more  thorough  realist  than  Martial.  He  was  rarely  fortunate  in 
the  accidents  of  time  and  place.  As  the  interest  of  the  world 
then  centred  in  Rome,  local  color  was  possible  in  greater  degree 
than  it  has  been  at  any  other  time.  As  life  was  Parisian  in  its 
publicity,  incongruities  lay  exposed  to  the  keen  glance.  The 
hours  that  were  devoted  to  morning  calls  afforded  the  sight  of 
spacious  atria  crowded  with  social  aspirants  of  every  class ;  those 
given  to  escorting  influential  friends  and  patrons  to  the  Forum 
provided  many  opportunities  to  study  the  moving  panorama  of 
street  scenes;  those  spent  in  the  courts,  the  theatres,  at  the  races, 
at  the  public  baths,  or  at  dinner  parties  gave  occasion  to  note 
eccentricities  of  dress,  manner,  and  character.  Martial  made 
the  most  advantageous  use  of  these  circumstances.  His  deliber- 
ate purpose  was  to  picture  the  life  around  him.1  His  instinctive 
antipathy  toward  literary  work  which  derived  its  subject  matter 
from  the  remote,  threadbare  mythological  tales2  was  based  on  the 
recognition  that  such  work  was  unnatural.3  "If  you  want  live 
epigrams,"  he  says,  "you  must  not  use  dead  themes."4  He 
always  writes  with  his  eye  on  the  object.  His  pictures  move  be- 
fore us.  He  uses  direct  quotations  liberally  in  order  to  gain 
reality.  But  his  mastery  of  the  specific  touch  seems  to  be  most 
remarkable  where  he  describes  mental  states.  How  vividly  he 
depicts  anger: 

"Ecce  rubet  quidam,  pallet,  stupet,  oscitat,  odit."5 

His  humor  owes  an  inestimable  debt  to  this  concreteness. 

Of  the  humorous  epigrams,  the  most  enjoyable  are  those  in 

1  VIII,  3, 20. 
2V,  53- 

3X,  4;  IV,  49. 
4  XI,  42. 
0  VI,  60,  3. 


Martial's  Wit  and  Humor 

which  he  ridicules  his  own  foibles.1  Often  his  shafts  are  of  the 
boomerang  type,  meant  to  recoil  on  himself,  though  apparently 
aimed  at  another.  How  frank  is  the  confession  of  envy  in  the 
epigram  to  Saleianus,  whose  rich  wife  had  just  died: 

Ilia,  ilia  dives  mortua  est  Secundilla 
Centena  decies  quae  tibi  dedit  dotis? 
Nollem  accidisset  hoc  tibi,  Saleiane."2 

The  faults  of  the  epigrams  furnish  an  unfailing  supply  of  material 
for  jokes.3  Lupercus  offers  to  send  a  slave  to  borrow  the  new 
book.  Martial  politely  and  facetiously  replies  that  the  distance 
is  too  great  and  that  the  book  can  be  more  conveniently  obtained 
from  the  dealer  at  a  cost  of  eighty  cents.  Then  guessing  the 
thought  of  Lupercus,  he  adds:  "You  think  the  book  not  worth 
the  cost.  Ah!  You  show  your  good  sense,  Lupercus."4  The 
speech  assigned  to  Domitian5  is  an  exceptionally  brilliant  sally 
of  the  same  character: 

Do  tibi  naumachiam,  tu  das  epigrammata  nobis: 
Vis,  puto,  cum  libra,  Marce,  natare  tuo. 

Jean  Paul  has  said  that  it  is  impossible  for  a  man  to  jest  about 
himself  in  the  present  tense,  that  the  ego  of  the  present  must 
first  become  the  ego  of  the  past,  in  reality,  a  third  person.  But 
in  this  instance,  Martial  accomplished  the  impossible  by  attribu- 
ting the  words  to  another  and  thus  has  heightened  the  humor  of 
the  persiflage. 

He  delights  to  joke  also  about  his  own  poverty.6  His  hut,  he 
tells  us,  has  such  chinks  that  even  the  north  wind  would  not  be 
willing  to  stay  there.7  He  makes  some  very  clever  requests  for 
relief.  In  VI,  82,  an  athlete,  recognizing  the  famous  poet, 
questions  him :  Cur  ergo  habes  malas  lacernas?  The  good  nature 

1  III,  41;  IV,  15;  IV,  37;  IV,  61,  13-16;  IV,  77;  IV,  88;  V,  I,  9-10;  V,  33; 
V,  36;  V,  39;  VI,  5;  VI,  30;  VIII,  41;  IX,  48;  XII,  49;XII,56;Xn,63,  8-13. 

2  II,  65. 

3  I,  3J  I.  ii8;II,  i;II,  6;  II,  8;  II,  71;  III,  100;  IV,  10;  V,  30,  7-8;  IX,  58; 
XI,  106;  XIV,  10. 

4  I,  117. 

5  I,  5- 

6  V,  62;  V,  79,  5-6;  VI,  59;  VII,  92;  VIII,  61,  9;  IX,  49;  XII,  92. 

7  VIII,  14,  5-6. 


f 


Martial's  Wit  and  Humor  19 

of  the  reply,  Quia  sum  mains  poeta,  is  irresistible.  But  the  rich- 
est humor  is  in  the  conclusion : 

Hoc  ne  saepius  accidat  poetae, 
Mittas,  Rufe,  mihi  bonas  lacernas. 

Often  the  begging  for  gifts  is  indirect  and  pleases  us  by  the  ingen- 
uity. There  is  a  delicious  apparent  innocence  in  the  remark 
which  closes  the  eulogy  on  the  new  toga: 

0  guantos  risus  pariter  spectata  movebit 
Cum  Palatina  nostra  lacerna  togal1 

Some  of  the  petitions  are  humorous  from  their  very  audacity. 
An  example  is  the  following: 

A  era  domi  non  sunt,  super est  hoc,  Regule,  solum 
Ut  tua  vendamus  munera:  numquid  emis?* 

In  passing  to  the  consideration  of  Martial's  wit,  we  do  not 
entirely  leave  the  subject  of  his  humor.  For  wit  and  humor  are 
two  intersecting  circles  which  have  a  large  field  in  common.  It 
is  but  natural  that  wit,  being  a  fusion  of  contradictory  ideas, 
should  find  the  great  mass  of  its  material  within  that  immense 
field  of  contradictions,  the  comic.  Hence,  we  must  not  in  the 
case  of  a  single  epigram,  infer  that  the  wit  and  humor  are  neces- 
sarily in  inverse  ratio.  They  may,  indeed,  exist  combined  in  the 
same  illustration  in  heightened  degree.  Yet  even  where  they 
are  completely  merged,  not  the  less  are  they  totally  different  and 
capable  of  being  distinguished.  We  are  happy  in  having  a  defini- 
tion of  wit,  so  true  and  exact  that  none  of  its  many  forms  need 
elude  us.  In  Vischer's  words,  "Der  Witz  ist  eine  Fertigkeit  mit 
iiberraschender  Schnelle  mehrere  Vorstellungen  die  nach  ihrem 
inneren  Gehalt  und  dem  Nexus  dem  sie  angehoren  einander 
eigentlich  fremd  sind  zu  Einer  zu  verbinden. "  Lipps  has  illumi- 
nated the  definition:  "Witzig  erscheint  eine  Aussage  wenn  wir 
ihr  eine  Bedeutung  mit  psychologischer  Notwendigkeit  zuschrei- 
ben  und  indem  wir  sie  ihr  zuschreiben  sofort  auch  wiederum  ab- 

1  VIII,  28,  21-22.  Cf.  I,  44;  I,  107;  I,  108,  9-10;  II,  85;  IV,  27,  6;  IV,  56, 
7-8;  V,  16;  V,  19,  7-18;  VI,  10;  VII,  60,  7-8;  VIII,  24,  5-6;  VIII,  55;  IX,  42; 
IX,  725X1,3. 

»VII,  16.     Cf.  II,  91;  III,  7,  6;  IV,  76;  VIII,  17;  IX,  53;  IX,  102;  XI,  105. 


2O  Martial's  Wit  and  Humor 

sprechen. MI  Thus  to  state  the  thought  in  English:  Wit  consists 
in  words  or  actions  which  are  intentionally  given  such  a  character 
that  the  auditor  perceives  a  certain  meaning  and  simultaneously 
denies  that  meaning.  Wit,  then,  always  implies  conscious  pur- 
pose. A  bull,  on  the  other  hand,  is  an  accidental  blunder  in 
logic  and  accordingly  fails  to  receive  the  tribute  which  is  paid  to 
the  dexterity  of  wit.  Thus  Miss  Edgeworth  with  evident  sensi- 
tiveness felt  it  necessary  to  defend  the  Irish  for  the  reproach 
which  their  bulls  had  brought  on  them.2 

Word  play  is  the  simplest  form  of  wit.  It  consists  in  so  using 
words,  that  a  deeper  meaning  lurks  behind  their  apparently 
clear  sense.  Every  variety  is  found  in  the  epigrams.  The  type 
in  which  two  different  words  resembling  each  other  in  formation 
constitute  the  basis,  is  seen  in  the  distich : 

Litigat  et  podagra  Diodorus,   Flacce,  laborat. 
Sed  nil  patrono  porrigit:  haec  cheragra  est* 

A  play  on  the  form  of  an  expression,  as  a  whole  and  on  the  com- 
ponent parts,  points  the  advice  to  the  would-be  wit: 


Non  cuicumque  datum  est  Jiabere  nasum: 
Ludit  qui  stolida  procacitate, 
Non  est  Tettius  ille,  sed  caballus* 


We  have  also  the  double  meaning  of  the  same  word  as  in  the  com- 
ment on  the  fire  that  destroyed  the  home  of  the  poet : 

O  scelus,  o  magnum  f acinus  crimenque  deorum, 
Non  arsit  pariter  quod  domus  et  dominus.5 

Each  meaning  of  arsit  has  decided  piquancy.  The  wretched 
poet  would  be  better  out  of  the  world  and  his  prosaic  verses  sadly 
need  fire.  The  pun  is  not  ordinarily  used  by  Martial  for  its  own 
sake  but  for  the  purpose  of  emphasizing  the  idea.  There  are,  to 
be  sure,  two  or  three  outrageously  bad  puns  the  very  lameness  of 

1  Komik  und  Humor. 

2  Essay  on  Irish  Bulls. 

3  I,  98.     Cf.  II,  77;  IV,  53,  7-8;  XI,  18,  26-27;  XII,  39;  XII,  58;  XII,  81. 

4  I,  41,  17-20. 

5  XI,  93,  3-4.     Cf.  I,  30;  I,  38,  2;  I,  81;  II,  20;  III,  18;  III,  99,  3;  IV,  2,  6; 
IV,34;V,75;VI,9;VI,i2;VI,6i,io;VII,46,6;VIII,5;VIII,i6,5;  VIII,  22; 
IX,  49,  8;  XI,  108,  4;  XII,  47,  2;  XIV,  154,  2. 


Martial's  Wit  and  Humor  21 

which  is  comical  and  can  be  justified  only  on  the  principle  that 
the  worst  puns  are  the  best.1  But  such  instances  of  puns  which 
"keep  the  word  of  promise  to  the  ear  and  break  it  to  the  sense" 
are  indeed  rare.  The  word  play  usually  serves  to  enforce  the 
sense.  How  much  it  adds  to  the  sharpness  of  the  attack  on  the 
plagiarist : 

Si  did  tua  vis,  hoc  erne,  ne  mea  sint* 

In  some  of  the  epigrams  the  play  on  the  double  meaning  of  words 
runs  through  entire  lines.3  In  I,  68,  we  have  a  very  humorous 
description  of  an  infatuated  lover,  who  can  talk  and  think  only 
of  Naevia,  and  who  actually  began  a  letter  to  his  father  with  the 
words:  Naevia  lux,  Naevia  lumen,  have.  Martial  imagines  that 
the  lovers  read  his  lines  about  them : 

Haec  legit  et  ridet  demisso  Naevia  voltu. 

Naevia  non  una  est:  quid,  vir  inepte,  furis? 

We  have  in  the  close  a  double  meaning:  "I  may  be  writing  of 
some  other  Naevia;  why  are  you  so  angry  at  me?"  and  "There 
is  more  than  one  attractive  girl;  why  are  you  so  infatuated,  you 
fool?"  For  merit  of  ingenuity  this  play  is  even  better  than  the 
celebrated  comment  of  Swift,  when  the  lady's  train  broke  the  old 
violin:  Mantua  vae  miserae  nimium  vicina  Cremonae. 

Again,  the  play  may  consist  in  giving  a  new  application  to 
words  that  have  been  used  by  the  speaker  or  by  some  one  else.4 
The  peculiar  adaptability  of  such  wit  to  repartee  and  retort  is 
readily  seen  from  a  few  examples.  How  pungent  is  the  distich : 

Quid  mihi  reddat  ager  quaeris,  Line,  Nomentanus? 
Hoc  mihi  reddit  ager:  te,   Line,   non  video* 

1  III,67,io;  VIII,  58. 

2  I,  29,  4- 

3  III,  16,  4  and  6;  V,  38,  4;  V,  53,  3-4 J  VIII,  25.     Cf.  IV,  70,  3-4;  V,  84, 12  ; 
X,  17,  8;  XII,  19. 

4  I,  17;  I,  20;  I,  44;  II,  14,  18;  II,  67;  III,  8;  III,  13;  HI,  30,  5~6;  HI,  33. 
i  and  4;  IV,  10,  7-8;  IV,  80,  5-6;  VI,  68,  12;  VI,  84;  VII,  21,  4,  a  play  on  words 
used  by  Nero;  VII,  92,  9;  VIII,  62;  VIII,  64,  18;  IX,  72,  5-6;  IX,  82,  I  and  6; 
IX,  87,  6-7;  IX,  97,  12;  IX,  100,  i  and  6;  X,  86;  XI,  14;  XII,  53,  7  and  10; 
XII,  56,  4;  XII,  89. 

5  II,  38.     Cf.  Swift's  epigram  on  the  same  subject: 

Far  from  our  debtors, 
No  Dublin  letters, 
Nor  seen  by  our  betters. 


22  Martial's  Wit  and  Humor 

The  closing  turn  in  IV,  72  has  a  still  more  brilliant  flash : 

Exigis  ut  donem  nostros  tibi,  Quinte,  libellos. 
Non  habeo  sed  habet  bybliopola  Tryphon. 
'Aes  dabo  pro  nugis  et  emam  tua  carmina  sanus? 
Non'  inquis  'faciam  tarn  fatue.'  Nee  ego. 

Indeed  there  are  so  many  splendid  quips  that  it  is  hard  to  select 
the  best  and  to  forbear  quoting  too  many.  To  Cinna,  who 
wishes  to  borrow  money,  the  poet  writes: 

Esse  nihil  dicis  quidquid  petis,  improbe  Cinna: 
Si  nil,  Cinna,  petis,  nil  tibi,  Cinna,  nego.1 

Again,  after  a  whole  series  of  changes  has  been  rung  on  the  word 
ago  in  connection  with  the  busy-body,  Attalus,  a  most  effective 
climax  is  reached  in  the  request,  agas  animam.2  In  some  in- 
stances, the  quip  consists  in  an  unexpected  use  of  a  word  merely 
suggested  by  the  preceding  thought.  Thus  Martial  rallies  the 
patron  who  is  always  "engaged"  in  the  early  morning:  non  vis 
havere:  vale.3 

Sometimes  an  expression  has  the  appearance  of  innocence  and 
only  by  a  later  touch  is  shown  to  have  a  second  sinister  meaning. 
In  I,  95,  addressed  to  the  loudly  applauding  client,  the  words, 
Non  fads  hoc  gratis,  at  first,  suggests  the  idea,  "You  are  paid  for 
your  applause,"  but  the  close,  accipis  ut  taceas,  reveals  the  true 
meaning,  "You  applaud  in  order  to  get  a  bribe  to  be  quiet." 
The  tart  effect  is  due  to  the  flat  contradiction  between  the  two 
meanings.  The  mind  wavers  back  and  forth  between  the  first 
conception  and  the  laughable  resolution.  In  another  epigram,4 
a  miserable  author  begs  for  criticism  and  receives  liberal  praise 
from  Martial.  The  fool  expresses  his  gratitude:  "Hoc  sentisl  .  .  . 
Facial  tibi  sic  bene  Caesar,  sic  Capitolinus  Juppiter."  By  his 
brief  reply,  the  poet  throws  a  searchlight  on  all  that  has  gone  be- 
fore :  Immo  tibi.  The  words  previously  used  are  stripped  of  their 
complimentary  disguise  and  stand  in  their  true  character.  The 
same  kind  of  wit  in  IX,  15,  is  particularly  good: 

lIH,6t. 

2  I,  79.     Cf.  XII,  39. 

3  IX,  6,  4.     Cf.  I,  54,  6-7;  I,  no;  III,  11,  6;  III,  62,  7-8;  V,  26,  I  and  4; 
V,  52,  2;  V,  66;  VI,  63,  7-8;  VII, 98;  VIII,  6,  16;  XI,  12;  XI,  54,  5-6. 

4V,63. 


Martial's  Wit  and  Humor  23 

Inscripsit  tumulis  septem  scelerata  virorum 
'Se  fecisse'  Chloe.     Quid  pote  simplicius?1 

Similarly  the  words  used  in  the  beginning  of  an  epigram  are,  in 
certain  instances,  repeated  at  the  close.  Meanwhile,  their  real 
meaning  has  been  humorously  illuminated.  The  repetition  is 
peculiarly  effective  as  it  flings  upon  the  first  statement  the  whole 
force  of  a  later  irony.  The  celebrated  "Dr.  Fell"  epigram  is  of 
this  type : 

Non  amo  te,  Sabidi,  nee  possum  dicerc  quart: 

Hoc  tantum  possum  dicere,  non  amo  te? 

The  simplest  form  of  wit  dependent  on  ideas  consists  in  utili- 
zing comic  or  humorous  elements  in  such  a  way  that  the  surprise 
is  very  great.  For  example,  the  extreme  unhappiness  of  Selius 
is  described  at  length  and  at  the  close  the  cause  is  explained: 
Domi  cenat?  Wit  of  this  character  is  almost  identical  with  the 
comic  and  is  entitled  to  the  name  of  wit  merely  because  of  the 
skillful  arrangement.4 

To  the  wit  of  ideas  belongs  also  the  form  of  quip  used  in  IV, 
41 :  "When  you  start  to  read  us  your  verses,  why  do  you  wrap 
about  your  throat  the  wool  that  is  better  suited  to  your  ears?" 
A  graceful  witticism  of  the  same  character  makes  effective  the 
plea  for  a  supply  of  water  from  the  Marcian  aqueduct:  The  water 
which  you  grant,  Augustus,  will  be  to  me  the  spring  of  Castalia.5 

The  witty  antithesis  is  used  in  large  numbers  of  the  epigrams. 
It  adds  spice  to  the  request  that  Stella,  who  has  given  titles  to 

1  Cf.  II,  3;  II,  69,  6;  III,  9;  III,  15;  HI,  63;  IV,  37,  8  and  10;  IV,  69,  4; 

V,  45J  V,  47;  V,  54;  V,  57;  VI,  61,  1-4;  VII,  81;  VII,  90;  VIII,  10;  X,  54; 
XI,  107,  3-4;  XII,  19. 

2  I,  32.     Cf.  II,  6,  i  and  17;  II,  18,  2  and  4  and  6;  II,  19;  II,  43,  I  and  16; 
IV,  89,  I  and  9;  VI,  42,  2  and  24;  VII,  64,  I  and  10;  VII,  92;  IX,  97;  X,  37,  4 
and  20.     The  wit  of  VII,  39,  is  a  more  complex  example  combining  effect  of 
repetition  with  word  play  dependent  on  change  of  emphasis. 

3  II,  II. 

4  Cf.  I,  n,  3-4;  I,  24,  4;  II,  795  HI,  47,  15;  V,  17;  VI,  20,  4;  VI,  94,  4;  VII, 
20,  22;  VII,  79,  3-45  VIII,  19;  VIII,  60;  IX,  35,  12;  IX,  98;  X,  9,  4-5;  X,  57; 
X,  60;  X,  74,  12;  X,  97,  4;  XII,  49,  13. 

5  IX,  18,  7-8.     Cf.  I,  5;  I,  H4,  5-6;  HI,  25;  III,  64,  5-6;  III,  100;  IV,  47; 

VI,  35;  VI,  63,  7-8;  VIII,  40,  6;  IX,  58,  7-8;  X,  61,  5-6;  XI,  37,  3;  XI,  44,  4J 
XIV,  137;  XIV,  196. 


24  Martial's  Wit  and  Humor 

Martial,  may  also  give  him  a  toga:  Stella,  tegis  villam,  non  tegis 
agricolam.1  It  enriches  the  audacious  humor  of  the  plea  for  the 
ius  trium  liberorum: 

Haec,  si  displicui,  fuerint  solatia  nobis; 
Haec  fuerint  nobis  praemia,   si  placui.z 

It  gives  the  sting  to  the  retort  aimed  at  the  worthless  author: 

Cur  non  mitto  meos  tibi,  Pontiliane,  libellos? 
Ne  mihi  tu  mittas,  Pontiliane,  tuos.3 

Another  type  of  witticism,  the  paradox,  so  frequently  gives 
the  point  that  the  word  epigram  has  become  synonymous  with  it. 
The  apparent  contradiction  lies  within  the  statement  and  serves 
to  give  emphasis  to  the  deeper  truth.  All  oxymora  are  witti- 
cisms of  this  type.  Every  word  helps  enforce  the  paradox  of  the 
distich : 

Difficilis  facilis,  iucundus  acerbus  es  idem: 
Nee  tecum  possum  vivere  nee  sine  te.4 

A  very  extravagant  youth,  who  has  always  received  a  daily  allow- 
ance, by  the  death  of  his  father  falls  heir  to  the  entire  estate. 
The  boy,  now  unrestrained,  will  soon  squander  his  fortune  and  be 

1 VII,  36,  6. 

2  II,  91,  7-8. 

3  VII,  3.     Antitheses  are  also  found  in  sp.  2,  12;  sp.  26,  8;  sp.  31;  I,  4,  8; 

I,  18,  5-8;  I,  25,  7;  I,  40,  2;  I,  43, 13-14;  I»  47,  2;  I,  55,  13;  I,  57,  2  and  4;  I,  59, 
4;  I,  63,  2;  I,  66,  14;  I,  91,  2;  I,  109,  22-23;  II,  5,  7-8;  II,  24,  7-8;  II,  30,  6; 

II,  32,  7-8;  II,  46,  10;  II,  64,  10;  II,  68,  8-9;  II,  88;  III,  37,  2;  III,  66,  6;  III, 
94,  2;  IV,  13,  9-10;  IV,  20;  IV,  36;  IV,  49,  10;  IV,  68,  2;  IV,  83;  V,  13,  9-10; 

V,  14,  II ;  V,  15,  6;V,  43;  V,  52,  2  and  6;  V,  65,  16;  V,  73, 1  and  4;  VI,  n,  5-10; 

VI,  28,  10;  VI,  40;  VI,  55,  5;  VI,  65,  6;  VI,  78,  8;  VI,  80,  10;  VI,  84,  2;  VI,  87; 

VII,  23,  3-4;  VII,  43;  VII,  44,  3-6  and  10;  VII,  45,  9-11 ;  VII,  60,  7-8;  VII,  76,  6; 

VII,  77,  2;  VII,  85,  3-4;  VII,  97,  13;  VIII,  18,  9-10;  VIII,  38,  7  and  15-16; 

VIII,  39,  5-6;  VIII,  41,  3-4;  VIII,  56,  3-4;  VIII,  74;  IX,  10;  IX,  14,  3;  IX, 
19,  3;  IX,  48,  11-12;  IX,  68,  10-12;  IX,  84,  10;  X,  3,  11-12;  X,  21,  6;  X,  30, 
29;  X,  35,  1-4  and  11-12;  X,  47,  12-13;  X,  76,  8-9;  X,  79;  X,  82,  8;  X,  89, 
5-6;  XI,  4,  7-8;  XI,  24,11-12;  XI,  86,  6;  XII,  10,  2;  XII,  13,  2;  XII,  14,  12; 
XII,  15,  8-10;  XII,  25,  3-4;  XII,  29,  15-16;  XII,  30,1  mitated  by  Sedley: 
"Thou  swearest  thou'lt  drink  no  more;  kind  Heaven  send  me  such  a  cook  or 
coachman  but  no  friend,"  XII,  34,  n;  XII,  37,  2;  XII,  72,  6;  XII,  80,  2; 
XII,  90,  6.     Antithesis  is  emphasized  by  alliteration  in  III,  21,  2  and  IV,  67 
8. 

4  XII,  46. 


Martial's  Wit  and  Humor  25 

without  a  penny.  "What  your  father  has  really  done,"  says 
Martial,  "is  to  disinherit  you.  "x  Some  of  the  expressions,  which 
Friedlaender  regards  as  careless  and  incorrect,  are  in  reality 
paradoxes  which  Martial  used  purposely  and  would  no  more  have 
changed  than  Ovid  would  have  surrendered  his  favorite  three 
verses.  An  example  is  the  line : 

Inque  suo  nullum  limine  limen  era/.2 

Occasionally , the  paradox  depends  on  the  omission  of  intermediate 
ideas.  In  I,  10,  the  officious  devotion  of  Gemellus  to  Maronilla 
is  pictured  and  the  question  is  asked:  Quid  ergo  in  ilia  petitur 
et  placet?  The  enjoyment  of  the  answer,  Tussit,  is  heightened 
for  the  reader  by  his  momentary  stupefaction.  For  half  a  second, 
he  is  puzzled  by  the  apparent  senselessness  of  the  idea  only  to 
feel  the  greater  pleasure  in  the  relaxation  which  the  comic  effect 
brings  with  it.  The  paradox  is  often  used  to  express  general 
truths.  In  fact,  it  is  on  the  border  line  between  wit  and  wisdom. 
It  imparts  a  striking  impressiveness  to  the  close  of  VI,  70;  non 
est  vivere  sed  valere  vita.3  It  gives  penetrating  force  to  a  fine  truth 
in  the  epigram  to  Postumus,  who  is  forever  talking  of  his  immense 
service  to  Martial : 

Crede  mihi,  quamvis  ingentia,  Postume,  dona 
Auctoris  pereunt  garrulitate  sui.^ 

It  gleams  with  exquisite  beauty  in  the  tender  words  of  Arria  to 
Paetus : 

11  Si  qua  fides,  vulnus  quod  fed  non  dolet,"  inquit 
"Sed  tu  quod  fades,  hoc  mihi,  Paete,  dolet."5 

'Ill,   10. 

2  VII,  61,  2.     A  tendency  to  epigrammatic  expression  is  seen  in  the  prose  of 
Martial,  as  in  I,  pr.  8:  inprobe  facit  qui  in  alieno  libro  ingeniosus  est. 

3  The  paradox  is  here  combined  with  alliterative  antithesis.     Pope  imitates 
this  paradox  in  his  epistle  to  Dr.  Arbuthnot:  "this  long  disease,  my  life." 

4  V,  52,  7-8.     Cf.  Prior's  epigram: 

To  John  I  owed  great  obligation; 

But  John,  unhappily,  thought  fit 

To  publish  it  to  all  the  nation: 

Sure  John  and  I  are  more  than  quit. 

5 1,  13,  3-4.  Any  too  great  stoicism  of  the  first  line  is  saved  by  the  tender- 
ness of  the  second.  Paradoxes  are  found  also  in  the  following  passages: 
sp.  7,  6;  sp.  9,  4;  sp.  29,  12;  I,  pr.  21;  I,  15,  12;  I,  21,  8;  I,  64;  I,  86,  11-13;  !»• 


26  Martial's  Wit  and  Humor 

The  wit  of  euphemism,  a  form  of  understatement,  is  occasion- 
ally used.  When  Martial  asks  the  freedman  who  has  shortened 
his  slave  name  Cinnamus  to  Cinna,  Non  est  hie,  rogo,  Cinna,  bar- 
barismus?  the  very  politeness  of  the  question  is  amusing.1  Equal- 
ly good  is  the  euphemistic  request  made  of  the  rich,  childless  old 
man:  Fac  illud,  mentitur  tua  quod  subinde  tussis.2 

Parody  and  its  obverse,  mock  heroic,  are  found  in  a  few  epi- 
grams. An  example  which  shows  especial  cleverness  is  the  an- 
swer to  the  friend,  who  has  suddenly  recollected  the  dinner  invi- 
tation given  the  night  before,  after  the  wine-glasses  had  been 
repeatedly  drained : 

Non  sobria  verba  subnotasti 
Exemplo  nimium  periculoso: 
/ucrai  fJLvdfjLova  crv/XTrorav,  Procille? 

The  famous  Greek  proverb  ordinarily  refers  to  the  revelation  of 
secrets  that  might  involve  peril  to  life;  here  it  is  applied  to  the 
recollection  of  a  promise  that  could  mean,  at  most,  slight  damage 
to  the  purse.  Sometimes  the  effect  of  parody  is  dependent  on 
the  form  of  expression.  For  instance,  the  conditional  wish  had 
its  origin  in  momentous  crises  and  had  acquired  a  form  conse- 
crated by  long  poetical  usage.  In  VII,  72,  Martial  secures  a 
comical  effect  by  putting  in  this  elevated  form  the  utmost  little- 
ness of  content,  just  as  Charles  Lamb  enriches  his  humor  by 

109,  20;  II,  12,  4;  II,  16,  6;  II,  37,  n;  II,  55,  3;  II,  77,  8;  II,  79,  2;  III,  19,  8; 

III,  22,  5;  III,  34,  2;  III,  39,  2;  III,  60,  9;  IV,  60,  6;  V,  4,  6;  V,  8,  12;  V,  18, 
9-10;  V,  24,  15;  V,  38,  6;  V,  42,  8;  V,  58,  7-8;  V,  79,  6;  VI,  II,  6;  VI,  18,  3-4; 
VI,  41,  2;  VI,  48,  2;  VII,  31, 12;  VII,  41,  2;  VII,  47,  10;  VII,  73,  6;  VII,  86,  10; 
VIII  7,  4:  VIII,  12,  2  and  4:  VIII,  13:  VIII,  20,  2:  VIII,  59,  6;  VIII,  77, 
7-8;  IX,  8,  4;  IX,  79,  7-8;  X,  13,  9-10;  X,  14,  10;  X,  23,  7-8;  X,  44,  10;  X, 
62,  12;  X,  69/2;  X,  74,  12;  X,  83,  ii ;X,  94,  5;  XI,  32,   8;  XI,  35,4;  XI,  38; 
XII,  21,  10;  XII,  45,  4;  XII,  50,  8;  XIV,  210.     The  paradox  is  somewhat  less 
distinct  in  the  following  passages:     sp.  4,  5-6;   I,  8,  5-6;  I,  12,  11-12;   I,  48, 
7-8,  I,  51,  5-6;  I,  60,  5-6;  II,  59,  4;  II,  80,  2;  IV,  18,  8;  IV,  32,  4;  IV,  44,  8; 

IV,  73,  8;  IV,  74,  4;  IV,  75,  7-8;  V,  22,  14;  V,  31,  8;  V,  64,  5-6;  V,  71,  6;  V, 
81,  2;  VI,  15,  4;  VI,  29,  8;  VII,  5,  6;   VII,  11,  4;  VII,  19,  6;  VII,  38,  4;  VIII, 
68,  10;  IX,  9,  4;  IX,  38,  10;  IX,  54,  12;  IX,  77,  5-6;  X,  25,  5-6;  X,  31,  5-6;  X, 
85,  8;XI,56,  15-16;  XI,  65,  6. 

'VI,  17,2. 

2  V,  39,  5-6- 

3 1,  27.     Cf.  X,  60;  XI,  12;  XIV,  124. 


Martial's  Wit  and  Humor  27 

applying  to  trifles  the  solemn  language  of  the  old  tragedies. 
Parody  and  mock  heroic  are  really  identical  except  that  the  one 
emphasizes  the  degradation  of  the  high  form,  the  other,  the  exal- 
tation of  the  low  object.  The  first  epigram  on  the  celebrated 
toga  is  a  delicate  bit  of  mock  heroic.1 

In  many  epigrams  suggestion  plays  a  large  part.2  The  wit  of 
innuendo  often  serves  to  enhance  the  humor  of  roguish  purpose. 
Martial  sends  a  book  of  epigrams  as  a  substitute  for  his  own 
presence  at  the  morning  reception  of  his  patron,  and  promises  to 
come  himself  as  often  as  desired  at  the  tenth  hour  of  the  day.3 
Insinuation  barbs  the  dart  of  criticism  in  the  reply  to  Gallicus, 
the  orator,  who  is  always  begging  for  the  truth  concerning  his 
speeches:  "The  truth,  Gallicus,  is  the  one  thing  that  you  do  not 
wish  to  hear."4  An  especially  adroit  implication  is  seen  in  the 
complaint  that  Caecilianus  persists  in  reading  the  epigrams  of 
Marsus  and  Catullus  for  comparison  with  those  of  Martial:  ''I 
should  very  much  prefer,  Caecilianus,  that  you  would  give  read- 
ings from  your  own  poems  when  you  give  them  from  mine."5 
A  form  of  wit  which  Martial  uses  only  for  attack  or  retort, 
consists  in  falsely  attributing  desires,  motives,  or  purposes  with 
the  object  of  disclosing  a  real  weakness  or  inconsistency.  The 
best  epigram  of  this  kind  is  the  answer  to  the  man  who  admires 
only  old  poets  and  accords  praise  only  to  the  dead.  Nothing 
could  better  reveal  the  dilettanteism  of  the  critic  than  the  cutting 
apology: 

Ignoscas  petimus,  Vacerra:  tanti 

Non  est,  ut  placeam  tibi,  perire.6 

1  VIII,  28.     Cf.  IX,  49,  9. 

2  I,  14,  6;  I,  78,  10;  IS9i;  I,  102;  I,  112;  I,  115,  7;  II,  29,  10;  II,  58;  II,  65,  6; 
II,  74,  7;  II,  81,  2;  II,  88;  III,  4,  8;  III,  31,  6;  III,  36,  9;  III,  46,  12;  III,  64, 
5-6;  IV,  23,  6-8;  IV,  24,  2;  IV,  26,  4;  IV,  33,  4;  IV,  40,  10;  IV,  51,  6;  IV,  77,  5; 
IV,   79,   2;   V,  5,   7-8;  V,    16,    14;    V,  25,    12;  V,  29,  4;   V,  36,  2;  VI,  8, 
1-2;  VI,  17,  4;  VI,  75,  4;  VI,  86,  5-6;  VII,  59;  VII,  66;  VII,  89,  3;  VIII,  37; 
VIII,  61,  9;  VIII,  81,  10-11;  IX,  52,  6-7;  IX,  94,  8;  X,  8,  2;  X,  16,  2;  X,  32, 
5-6;  X,  43,  2;  X,  56,  8;  X,  101;  XI,  10,  2;  XI,  34;  XI,  67,  2;  XI,  83,  2;  XII,  12; 
XII,  69;  XII,  88;  XII,  92. 

3  I,  108,  9-10. 

4  VIII,  76,  8. 

5  II,  71- 

6  VIII,  69. 


28  Martial's  Wit  and  Humor 

Again,  with  what  a  brilliant  lightning  flash  does  Martial  illumine 
the  characters  of  Picentinus  and  Galla: 

Funera  post  septem  nupsit  tibi  Galla  virorum, 
Picentine:  sequi  vult,  puto,  Galla  viros.1 

A  kindred  form  of  wit  is  sophistical  reasoning  in  which  the 
fallacy  is  readily  apparent  as  well  as  the  real  purpose  of  the  writer. 
Martial  sometimes  uses  it  to  attack  another2  but  more  frequently 
to  excuse  himself  or  to  gain  some  personal  end.3  We  enjoy  the 
ingenious  logic  in  the  complaint  to  his  client:  "'Sextus,  you 
promised  me  two  thousand  sesterces  for  pleading  your  case. 
Why  have  you  sent  only  a  thousand?'  'Your  plea  was  worthless,' 
you  reply,  'and  you  ruined  my  case.'  'You  owe  me  that  much 
more,  Sextus,  because  I  endured  the  shame  of  failure.'"4 

Witty  exaggeration5  in  the  epigrams  is  completely  permeated 
with  humor.  Now  and  then  it  furnishes  entertaining  descrip- 
tion as  in  the  fanciful  picture  of  the  poet's  infinitesimal  estate.6 
In  power  of  humorous  invention7  Martial  is  almost  an  American, 
delighting  in  the  wildly  impossible.  What  a  bold  conception  is  the 
advice  that  the  overheated  bath  be  cooled  by  putting  in  it  the 
rhetorician  Sabineius  !8  What  a  delicious  fiction  is  the  tale  of  the 

1  IX,  78.     Cf.  I,  80;  II,  15;  V,  23,  7-8;  VI,  24;  VIII,  67,  10;  IX,  15,  2,  if 
simplicius  may  be  interpreted  "ingenuous;"  X,  36,  7-8;  X,  41,  4-8;  XII,  66, 
10;  XII,  87,  5-6. 

2  I,  99,  17-19;  II,  44,  11-12;  V,  40;  V,  70,  6;  V,  76;  VI,  6;  VIII,  9;  VIII,  29; 
VIII,  35;  XII,  17;  XI,  68,  a  good  natured  sally. 

3  A  famous  and  often  quoted  reply  of  Charles  Lamb  shows  how  naturally 
the  wit  of  apparent  logic  is  adapted  to  self  defence.     To  the  complaint  of  his 
employer  that  he  repeatedly  came  late  to  his  work,  he  answered:  "But,  sir 
you  observe  how  often  I  leave  early." 

4  VIII,   17.     Cf.  II,  85,  3-4;  II,  92,  4;  II,  93,  3-4;  III,  i,  6;  IV,  76;  V,  26; 
V  62,  8;  VIII,  23,  3-4;  VIII,  71 ;  XI,  76;  XI,  79,  3-4;  XII,  25,  5-6. 

5  I,  56,  2;  I,  109,  22  and  23;  II,  n,  4;  III,  56;  V,  39,  10;  V,  50,  3;  VII,  9;  VII, 
33,  4J  VIII,  7,  2;  VIII,  21,  12;  VIII,  33,  1-23;  X,  24,  n;  X,  36,  4;  X,  39;  Xr 
53,  4;  XI,  79,  i;  XI,  84. 

6  XI,  18. 

7  I,  n,  3  and  4;  I,  26,  2;  I,  69;  II,  35;  II,  78;  III,  35,  2;  III,  40;  V,  21 ;  V,  32; 
V,  38,  8  and  10;  V,  76,  4;  VI,  57,  4;  VI,  59,  7-8;  VII,  83;  VIII,  14,  6;  VIII,  52, 
10;  IX,  75,  10;  IX,  95  b;  X,  41,  4-8;  XI,  14;  XI,  84,  18;  XI,  102,  7-8;  XII, 

25,  5-6;  xiv  69. 

8  III,  25. 


Martial's  Wit  and  Humor  29 

hungry  Spaniard,  who  almost  reached  the  gates  of  Rome  but 
learning  of  the  state  of  sportula,  turned  back  at  the  Mulvian 
bridge  I1  There  is  a  striking  contrast  between  the  tone  of  simple 
ingenuousness  and  the  real  pointing  of  the  moral. 

Figurative  wit  has  also  a  prominent  place.  Martial  warns  his 
patron,  who  himself  cringes  before  a  richer  nobleman: 

Esse  sat  est  servum,  iam  nolo  vicarius  esse. 
Qui  rex  est  regem,  Maxime,  non  habeat.2 

A  comparison,  which  amuses  by  its  audacity,  is  the  personifica- 
tion of  the  worn  out  furniture : 

Nam  mea  iam  digitum  sustulit  hospitibus.* 

An  even  bolder  figure  is  used  in  the  complaint  of  the  patron  who 
always  pretends  to  be  ill : 

Tu  languore  quidem  subito  fictoque  laboras. 
Sed  mea  porrexit  sportula,  Paule,  pedes* 

But  Martial  takes  most  pleasure  in  the  playful  personification  of 
his  own  works.5  His  warning  to  the  restless  book  that  hurries  to 
meet  a  critical  public6  has  rich  imaginative  wit  as  well  as  tender 
humor. 

Many  epigrams  combine  a  large  number  of  these  forms.  That 
upon  the  toothless  Maximina7  is  not  surpassed  in  continuation 
of  contrasts,  and  of  comic  descents.  The  quotation  from  Ovid 

1  III,  14- 

2  II,  18,  7-8. 
3V,  62,4. 

4  IX,  85,  4.     Other  instances  of  personification  are  I,  18,  5,  6  and  8;  II, 
23,  5;  II,  66,  8;  VI,  59,  5?  VII,  17;  VII,  48,  3  and  5;  VIII,  14,  8;  VIII,  28;  X, 
18,  6;  X,  72;  XII,  17;  XII,  25,  3-6.     Comparisons  are  expressed  or  implied  in 
I,  53,  4-10;  I,  72;  I,  107,  7-8;  II,  6,  14-16;  II,  43,  5-6;  III,  12,  4-5;  III,  36,  10; 
III,  43,  2  and  4;  III,  45,  1-2;  IV,  56,  5~6;  V,  18,  7-8;  V,  74,  3~45  VI,  62,  4;  VI, 
63.  5-6;  VI,  77,  7~8;  VIII,  33,  3~22;  VIII,  57,  5-6;  IX,  50=  5~6;  IX,  81,  3-4; 
IX,  88,  3-4;  X,  3,  7-8;  X,  9,  5;  X,  45,  3-6;  X,  49,  5;  X,  59;  X,  73,  6;  X,  79,  9~ 
10;  X,  83,  7-8;  X,  100,  3-6;  XI,  42,  3-4;  XI,  84,  3-12;  XII,  36,  11-13;  XII, 
€3,  10-13;  XII,  78. 

5  I,  52;  I,  70;  I,  108,  10;  II,  i;  II,  93,  2;  III,  I,  6;  III,  2;  III,  5;  IV,  86;  IV, 
39;  VII,  84;  VII,  97;  VIII,  i ;  VIII,  72;  X,  104;  XI,  i;  XII,  2. 

6  I,  3. 

7  II,  41- 


3O  Martial's  Wit  and  Humor 

prepares  the  reader  for  an  encomium  on  the  girl's  beauty.  The 
first  reversal  is  in  the  insinuation,  non  dixerat  omnibus  puellis. 
A  steeper  fall  follows: 

Verum  ut  dixerit  omnibus  puellis, 
Non  dixit  tibi:  tu  puella  non  es. 

Then  comes  the  cutting  contrast  between  the  tone  of  respectful 
admission  and  the  gruesome  idea,  Et  tres  sunt  tibi,  Maximina, 
denies;  but  this  is  not  enough  and  the  climax  seems  to  be  reached 
in  the  addition:  Sed  plane  piceique  buxeique.  Every  thing  that 
has  gone  before  is  thrown  completely  in  the  shade  by  the  grim 
advice  which  follows:  "  Dread  laughter  as  Spanius  with  his  sparse 
hair  combed  to  hide  the  bald  places  dreads  the  wind,  as  Fabulla's 
powder  fears  the  rain,  Sabella's  paint,  the  sun, — haunt  tragedy 
and  funerals. "  The  parody  on  Ovid's  words  furnishes  the  finish- 
ing stroke :  Flora,  si  sapis,  o  puella,  plora. 

All  these  different  forms  of  wit  owe  much  of  their  effectiveness 
to  the  art  which  Martial  shows  in  handling  his  subject.  With 
incomparable  skill  he  heightens  the  reader's  expectation  to  the 
utmost  degree  until  the  very  instant  of  the  reversal.  Often  he 
leads  us  along  an  opposite  trend  of  thought  and  gives  it  some 
peculiar  emphasis  to  enhance  the  contrast  of  the  conclusion.1 
He  wishes  vengeance  on  the  friend  who  gives  so  many  dinners 
without  inviting  him.  "I  am  thoroughly  angry,"  he  says; 
"even  though  you  invite  me  repeatedly,  send  after  me  and  beg  of 
me  to  come, — what  am  I  going  to  do  about  it?  I  intend — to 
come!"2  He  almost  invariably  reserves  the  final  resolution  until 
the  last  clause  of  the  epigram,  and  often  until  the  last  word. 
Curiously  enough,  Leigh  Hunt,  in  his  essay  on  Wit  and  Humor, 
speaks  of  the  epigram  as  differing  from  other  forms  of  wit  in  that 
a  reversal,  a  comic  change,  is  expected.  One  may  see  that  the 
idea  is  altogether  erroneous  by  observing  that  the  effect  is  almost 
entirely  dependent  upon  the  extent  of  the  surprise.  Martial 
knows  how  to  put  the  reader  into  that  frame  of  mind  where  the 
shock  will  be  greatest.  The  wit,  the  resolution,  he  invariably 
makes  as  brief  and  startling  as  lightning  flashes.  He  uses  no 

» I,  28;  III,  27,  3-4;  V,  26;  VI,  75,  41  XI,  92;  XII,  78. 

8  VI,  51.      Cf.  VII,  20,  22. 


Martial's  Wit  and  Humor  31 

needless  words  and  has  even  the  faculty  of  getting  along  with 
half  the  necessary  number  by  suggesting  the  rest.  The  impor- 
tance of  brevity  is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  combinations  of  wit 
are  arbitrary,  and  hence,  can  interest  only  while  they  surprise. 
Many  of  the  epigrams,  to  be  sure,  are  not  short  according  to  the 
standard  of  length  for  such  poems.  Martial  was  often  criti- 
cised1 on  this  score,  but  his  artistic  instinct  revolted  at  the  re- 
strictions which  the  critics  sought  to  impose.  His  own  truer 
canon  he  expressed  in  the  words :  Non  sunt  longa  quibus  nihil  est 
quod  demere  possis.2  The  truth  seems  to  be,  that  he  felt  without 
analyzing  the  idea,  that  comical,  humorous,  and  ironical  effects 
usually  need  stroke  after  stroke,  and  cannot  be  compressed  into 
a  distich.  Perversity  of  character,  for  instance,  must  be  shown 
in  many  situations  that  it  may  gain  a  cumulative  effect.  The 
comic  of  imitation  necessitates  expansion.  But  the  flash  of  his 
wit,  the  point,  is  always  instantaneous.  A  number  of  lines  may 
be  needed  to  give  us  a  picture  of  the  unknown  nabob  in  the  first 
of  the  knights'  benches,  the  gems  on  his  fingers  flashing  their 
light  to  the  remotest  corners  of  the  theatre,  his  costly  purple 
mantle,  snowy  toga,  red-crested  shoes,  the  ornamental  plasters 
on  his  forehead;  but  three  words  contain  the  wit  which  tell  us 
who  he  is,  Splenia  tolle,  leges? 

In  our  effort  to  judge  correctly  the  wit  of  the  epigrams,  we 
must  take  into  consideration  a  criticism  of  Addison.  He  has 
objected  to  it  on  the  ground  that  it  is  almost  altogether  "mixed 
wit,  "4  which  he  defines  as  a  mixture  of  true  and  false  wit,  depen- 
dent partly  upon  the  resemblance  of  ideas  and  partly  upon  the 
resemblance  of  words.  One  need  not  read  Martial  very  far  to 
discover  the  inaccuracy  of  this  observation.  Innuendo,  falla- 
cious logic,  invention,  and  the  paradox  are  distinctly  plays  upon 
thought.  Furthermore,  word  plays  which  serve  as  the  fitting 
dress  of  cutting  repartee  or  racy  pleasantry  can  hardly  be  regard- 
ed as  false  wit.  For  all  wit  is  based  on  relations  which  are  more 
or  less  accidental  and  superficial,  and  should  therefore  be  valued 

1  VI,  65. 

2 II,  77,  7- 

3 II,  29. 

4  Spectator,  No.  62. 


32  Martial's  Wit  and  Humor 

in  accordance  with  the  content  rather  than  with  the  form.  The  wit 
of  those  puns  which  are  pointless  in  one  meaning  may  well  be 
called  false.  But  of  these  there  are  very  few.  In  general, 
Martial  had  a  strong  dislike  for  ingenious  nullities.1 

In  estimating  his  wit,  we  may  further  inquire  how  it  stands  the 
test  of  the  popular  canon  that  the  best  wit  is  capable  of  transla- 
tion. This  canon  has,  indeed,  been  rejected  by  more  than  one 
critic  whose  judgment  may  well  be  regarded  as  keen  and  unbias- 
ed.2 Yet,  even  if  we  accept  it,  we  find  that  comparatively  few 
epigrams  are  so  dependent  on  a  verbal  accident  of  the  Latin 
language  as  not  to  lend  themselves  to  expression  in  another 
tongue.  To  be  sure,  the  wit  in  translation  is  more  or  less  disap- 
pointing. For  it  owes  so  much  of  its  value  to  the  artistic  form, 
to  the  order  and  compression.  It  cannot  be  translated  in  a 
really  satisfactory  way  for  precisely  the  same  reason  that  the 
picture  of  the  degenerating  Romans,  which  Horace  framed  in  less 
than  a  dozen  words,3  cannot  retain  in  any  other  language  its  in- 
comparable conciseness. 

The  crowning  distinction  of  Martial's  wit  is  its  variety,  keen- 
ness, and  fineness  of  content.  It  serves  a  thousand  different 
purposes;  it  is  by  turns  the  expression  of  friendly  raillery,4  a 
nipping  retort,5  a  sly  insinuation,6  a  rougish  hint,7  an  ingenious 
excuse,8  a  delicate  compliment,9  or  a  graceful  benediction.10  In 
wit  as  in  poetry  much  depends  upon  the  form,  but  far  more  upon 
the  content.  The  failure  to  value  this  important  criterion  has 
been  the  source  of  many  errors  in  criticism.  Indeed,  some  Ger- 
man scholars  have  found  it  difficult  to  explain  the  popularity  of 
wit  among  cultured  people  except  on  the  ground  of  deficiency  in 

1 II,  86,  9-10. 

2  Lamb — Popular  Fallacy:  That  verbal  allusions  are  not  wit  because  they 
will  not  bear  translation. 

3  Odes  III,  6,  47-49. 

4  III,  20. 

5  IV,  72. 

6  VIII,  76,  8. 

7  VIII,  28,  21-22;  VII,  60,  7-8. 

8  III,  i,  6. 

9  VIII,  18,  9-10. 

10  VII,  89,  3. 


Martial's  Wit  and  Humor  33 

imagination!  A  few  examples  suffice  to  show  the  incorrectness 
of  the  explanation,  such  as  the  graceful  close  of  the  sepulchral 
epigram  VI,  28,  Quifles  talia,  nil  fleas,  viator.  Not  the  form  of 
the  witticism  dependent  on  the  use  oiflere  to  connect  two  widely 
remote  ideas,  but  the  logical  content,  "  If  your  sympathies  are  so 
delicate,  you  deserve  escape  from  sorrow,"  is  the  source  of  its 
fineness.  The  ordinary  connection  of  concepts  has  been  dis- 
turbed; a  new  unusual  connection  has  been  produced,  but  the 
kaleidoscopic  shifting  has  brought  with  it  a  thought  of  exquisite 
harmony. 

Indeed,  some  of  the  most  admirable  epigrams  have  a  serious 
sort  of  wit  and  humor.  How  charming  is  the  play  of  idea  around 
the  ever  elusive  " to-morrow"  in  the  warning  to  Postumus.1 
There  is  a  touch  of  very  sympathetic  humor  where  Martial  kind- 
ly reveals  the  delusion  cherished  by  his  friend :  "  'To-morrow/  you 
will  enjoy  life,  Postumus;  you  always  say  'to-morrow.'  Pray, 
when  will  your  'to-morrow'  come?  Where  can  we  find  it?  Is 
it  in  hiding  far  away  in  the  Orient?  Ah!  your  'to-morrow'  has 
already  consumed  the  years  of  Priam  and  of  Nestor.  Tell  me 
for  what  price  you  can  purchase  your  'to-morrow.'  Forsooth, 
you  will  enjoy  life  'to-morrow.'  It  is  too  late,  Postumus,  to 
enjoy  life  to-day.  He  alone  is  the  wise  man  who  made  the  most 
of  life  yesterday."  The  serious  humor  of  this  poem  may  be 
matched  by  the  serious  wit  which  closes  the  poem  on  the  death 
of  the  little  girl,  Erotion: 

Mollia  non  rigidus  caespes  legal  ossa  nee  illi, 
Terra,  grams  fueris:  non  fuil  ilia  libi.2 

The  playful  reason3  why  the  earth  should  rest  lightly  on  the  little 
form,  gives  a  relief  to  the  tension  resulting  from  the  deep  pathos 
of  the  preceding  lines  and  has  at  the  same  time  a  pathos  of  its 
own.  The  conclusion  gives  a  startling  emphasis  to  the  picture 
of  Erotion's  slight  childish  figure  and  is  in  perfect  harmony  with 
the  general  tone  of  sadness.  It  is  not  the  less  truly  entitled  to  be 

*V,   58- 

2  V,  34,  9-10.     Although  the  general  expression  is  borrowed  from  Meleager 
(Anth.  Lib.  3  cap.  l)  Martial's  order  is  much  more  effective.     Furthermore, 
the  striking  application  stamps  the  wit  as  original  in  the  deepest  sense. 

3  The  wit  is  technically  that  of  fallacious  reasoning. 


34  Martial's  Wit  and  Humor 

called  wit  because  there  is  no  desire  to  laugh.  Wit  and  humor  are 
not  divided  by  a  sharp  line  from  beauty  and  wisdom.  Indeed, 
the  word  wit  was  for  a  long  time  nearly  synonymous  with  wisdom 
and  it  can  never  quite  lose  its  original  connotation.  Hence, 
English  writers  have  repeatedly  asserted  that  wit  is  never  really 
laughable.1  Possibly  their  statements  may  be  too  sweeping,  but 
the  discriminating  judgment  of  Leigh  Hunt  surely  hits  the  truth: 
"It  does  not  follow  that  everything  witty  or  humorous  excites 
laughter;  it  may  be  accompanied  with  a  sense  of  too  many  other 
things  to  do  so, — with  too  much  thought,  with  too  great  a  per- 
fection even,  or  with  pathos  and  sorrow." 

Irony,  which  is  really  a  very  distinctive  kind  of  wit,  is  used  by 
Martial  for  widely  different  purposes.  It  enters  into  the  selec- 
tion of  proper  names,  and  dubs  the  critic,  who  is  unable  to  write, 
Velox.2  It  is  of  a  light,  playful  character  as  Martial  deplores 
his  inability  to  imitate  the  Greeks  in  changing  the  quantity  of 
words  to  suit  the  metre.3  It  enforces  an  entirely  dignified 
thought  in  the  closing  line  of  the  epigram  on  Portia,  /  nunc  et 
ferrum,  turba  molesta,  nega.*  It  is  very  frequently  combined  with 
other  forms  of  wit.5  Though  it  cannot  secure,  in  a  short  space, 
the  deadly  power  of  sustained  earnestness,  it  shows,  in  some  of 
the  epigrams,  remarkable  subtlety  and  penetration.  The  friend- 
ly advice  bestowed  upon  the  plagiarist  is  the  more  nipping,  on 
account  of  the  admirable  delicacy.6  The  irony  is  often  heighten- 
ed by  skillful  proof  and  qualification,  which  give  the  appearance 
of  a  careful  regard  for  truth.7  At  times,  it  has  many  edges  and 
cuts  in  more  than  one  direction.  The  ironical  epigram  in  which 
Martial  promises  to  send  his  freedman  as  the  escort  of  the  great 
lord,8  discloses  not  only  the  servility  of  the  ordinary  client,  but 

1  Cf.  Chesterfield  Letter  CXXXIV. 

2  I,  no.     Cf.  II,  7;  II,  35J  X,  39- 

3  IX,  n,  16-17.     Light  irony  is  also  found  in  II,  6,  i  and  17;  II,  43,  I  and 
16;  II,  71,  i  and  5;  V,  21,  3-4;  VI,  46,  2;  VII,  92;  XIV,  35. 

4  I,  42,  6.     Cf.  sp.  22,  12;  VII,  88,  10;  X,  96,  13;  XI,  33,  3- 

5  I,  18,  5  and  7;  II,  445 IV,  26,  4;  IV,  66,  18;  V,  37,  24;  VIII,  33,  23-26;  VIII, 
67,  9;  VIII,  69,  3;  XII,  81. 

6  I,  66.     Cf.  VIII,  48. 

7  III,  46;  IV,  46;  I,  19,  31  V,  28,  8-9. 

8  III,  46. 


Martial's  Wit  and  Humor  35 

also  the  vulgarity  of  a  patron  who  could  wish   to  claim  such 
service  from  a  friend. 

No  more  powerful  irony  has  ever  been  attained  in  epigram- 
matic form  than  in  the  lines  on  the  hag  Philaenis.1  What  a 
width  of  contrast  in  time  is  expressed  in  the  ironical  lament : 

Rapta  es  ad  infernas  tarn  cito  Ditis  aquas? 
Euboicae  nondum  numerabas  longa  Sibyllae 
Tempera:  maior  erat  mensibus  ilia  tribus. 

Not  keener  are  the  parallel  lines  of  Pope,  which  in  Hazlitt's 
judgment  contain  the  finest  wit  ever  penned: 

"Now  night  descending,  the  proud  scene  is  o'er 
But  lives  in  Settle's  numbers  one  day  more" 

The  panegyric  on  the  sorceress  is  fittingly  closed  with  the  ironi- 
cal benediction: 

Sit  tibi  terra  levis  mollique  tegaris  harena 
Ne  tua  non  possint  eruere  ossa  canes. 

As  a  satirist,  Martial  shows  notable  deficiencies  in  comparison 
with  Horace  or  Juvenal,  the  two,  who  may  be  said  to  have  given 
a  permanent  meaning  to  the  word  satire.  This  meaning  is 
indeed  most  complex,  but  loosely  includes  any  form  of  humor 
which  has  an  ethical  purpose.  It  furthers  implies  indirect  con- 
demnation and  is  accordingly  often  confused  with  the  invariable 
attendant,  irony.  It  scourges  the  faults  of  individuals  and  the 
injustice  of  society.  In  this  complex  conception,  the  ethical 
purpose  requires  a  capacity  for  moral  judgment  and  criticism 
of  which  Martial  was  wholly  destitute.  Though  he  saw  clearly 
the  inconsistencies  of  the  life  around  him,  he  never  experienced 
the  feeling  of  disinterested  righteous  indignation.  His  lack  of 
ideals  prevented  his  rising  to  those  noble  tones  which  are  so 
familiar  to  us  in  Horace  and  Addison.  The  moral  sensibility 
which  can  alone  refine  satire  is  always  missing.  He  has  not  that 
exquisite  moral  perception  that  enabled  Pope  in  his  portrait  of 
Atticus  to  paint  the  virtues  as  a  foil  for  the  faults.  Nor  has  he 
the  force  of  Juvenal  and  Swift.  The  bitter  element  in  satire 
demands  a  certain  latent  power  and  a  sustained  intensity  of 
feeling,  which  can  come  only  from  long  brooding  and  reflection. 

1 IX,  29. 


36  Martial's  Wit  and  Humor 

Rage  must  not  expend  itself  in  instantaneous  denunciation;  it 
must  be  suppressed  that  it  may  gather  strength.  But  Martial's 
temperament  favored  immediate  expression.  Long  reflection 
was  not  congenial  to  him.  And  the  pressure  of  poverty, — 
magister  artis  ingenique  largitor,  made  him  dash  off  his  epigrams 
as  rapidly  as  he  could.  Hence,  his  satire  is  seldom  of  that  type 
which  secures  its  effect  by  saying  hardly  a  tenth  of  what  it  feels. 
The  more  caustic  epigrams  are  unfortunately  inspired  by 
selfish  motives.  The  intense  vituperation  of  which  Martial 
has  shown  himself  capable1  is  too  disagreeable  a  subject  for  one 
to  care  to  linger  over  it.  The  only  palliation  can  be  that  sati- 
rists have  not  generally  been  free  from  petty  animosity.  Horace 
believed  in  the  function  of  satire  as  a  personal  weapon,  and  Pope 
wrote  his  most  incisive  verses  to  punish  the  unfairness  of  Addi- 
son.  It  is  perhaps  only  natural  that  those  epigrams  which  have 
the  strongest  satirical  ring2  but  are  free  from  the  personal  tone, 
should  owe  their  indignation  to  the  fact  that  the  poet  himself 
has  been  the  sufferer.  We  are  reminded  of  the  controlled  anger 
and  ironical  cynicism  of  Juvenal,  as  we  read  the  advice  to  dis- 
inherit a  son  who  writes  poetry.3  The  bitterness  of  the  distich, 

Genus,  Aucte,  lucri  divites  habent  iram: 
Odisse  quam  donare  vilius  constat* 

is  also  explained :  Martial  has  been  the  victim. 

On  the  whole,  his  satire  is  best  where  it  is  pointed  by  his  wit. 
The  distich  III,  29,  is  an  example  of  his  most  powerful  manner. 
Marvelously  condensed,  it  is  at  once  bitterly  satiric  and  brilliant- 
ly witty.  The  tone  of  serious  purpose  has  an  irony  as  deadly  as 
Swift's.  In  the  few  words,  Has  cum  gemina  compede  dedicat 
catenas,  Saturne,  tibi  Zoilus,  is  pictured  the  whole  ignominy  of 
Zoilus'  past,  the  fact  that  he  had  been  not  merely  a  slave,  but  a 
runaway  slave  as  well.  In  the  closing  words,  anulos  priores,  we 
have  implied,  suggested,  more  vividly  than  any  statement  could 
give  it,  the  unwarrantable  assumption  of  the  parvenu  to-day. 
The  subtle  effect  is  gained  by  saving  until  the  end,  the  first  mem- 

1X,5- 

2  II,  53;  HI,  4,  7-8;  HI,  37?  V,  81;  VI,  8;  IX,  73;  X,  76;  XI,  24. 

3V,  56. 

4  XII,  13. 


Martial's  Wit  and  Humor  37 

her  of  the  comic  contrast  and  then — suggesting  it.  It  is  doubt- 
ful if  more  contrast  was  ever  compressed  into  two  words. 

Such  epigrams,  however,  should  not  mislead  us  in  regard  to 
the  relation  which  Martial  bore  to  the  world.  It  is  true  that  he 
fully  believed  in  the  use  of  bitterness,  as  well  as  spiciness.1  It 
was  a  sure  proof  that  the  dart  had  gone  home,  if  some  unnamed 
individual  was  trembling  with  fear  or  hatred.2  The  epigram- 
matist was  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  Romans  and  well  knew 
that  insipid  sweets  had  no  relish  for  them.3  Yet  he  probably 
caused  few  people  serious  pain  by  his  ridicule.  For  he  removed 
the  personal  sting  from  the  more  cutting  epigrams,  by  using 
fictitious  names.  He  was  aware  that  caustic  ridicule  is  a  danger- 
ous weapon.  As  his  wit  was  his  only  dependence,  he  could  not 
afford  to  inflict  wounds.  "Tongilianus, "  he  remarks,  "possesses 
satirical  wit;  the  result  is,  that  he  possesses  nothing  else."4 
But  apart  from  the  consequences,  Martial  had  no  desire  to  cause 
needless  pain.  In  his  temperament,  there  was  no  deep-grained 
malice.  He  could  not  be  called  a  good  hater.  Since  he  recog- 
nized himself  as  so  very  weak  and  human,  and  jested  continually 
at  his  own  expense,  he  could  not  possibly  be  harsh  towards  others. 
Thus  he  spared  the  humble  and  helpless,  as  well  as  the  rich  and 
powerful.5  He  declared  that  his  purpose  was  to  attack  the 
fault,  to  spare  the  individual.  He  could  say  more  truthfully 
than  Pope: 

"Cursed  be  the  verse,  how  well  soe'er  the  flow, 
That  tends  to  make  one  worthy  man  my  foe." 

He  preferred  to  use  his  wit  to  gratify  friends,  rather  than  to 
provoke  enemies.  He  took  delight  in  complimenting  his  ac- 
quaintances and  thus  conferring  upon  them  a  sort  of  immortal- 
ity.6 The  people  of  his  day  regarded  him  as  a  friendly  humorist, 

1  VII,  25,  3. 

2  VI,  60. 

3  VII,  25,  5-6. 

4  XII,  88. 

5  I,  pr.  3;  X,  33,  10.     Cf.  VII,  12;  VII,  72;  X,  3. 

6  IV,  31;  V,  15,  1-4.     Many  of  these  compliments,  such  as  those  paid  to 
Silius  Italicus,  were  simply  polite  lies.     For  Martial  was  too  shrewd  to  be- 
lieve what  he  said. 


38  Martial's  Wit  and  Humor 

not  as  a  stern  castigator  or  misanthrope.  Pliny  is  but  giving 
expression  to  the  popular  estimate,  when  he  says  that  Martial 
was  as  free  from  malice,  as  he  was  witty  and  spicy.1 

The  explanation  of  his  talent  must  be  sought  primarily  in 
certain  mental  characteristics.  Possibly  the  most  striking  of 
all  these  is  his  keen  observation.  Crookedness  and  inconsisten- 
cies were  glaring  to  his  view,  because  of  his  clearness  of  vision. 
His  wit  and  humor  were  due,  in  great  measure,  to  his  unusual 
insight  into  human  life  and  its  motives,  and  to  his  power  to 
seize  the  most  salient  illustrations.  With  this  acute  perception 
was  combined  an  unusual  imaginative  power.  It  is  a  signifi- 
cant fact,  that  intimately  as  wit  and  humor  are  connected,  few 
men  of  genius  have  been  preeminent  in  both;  that,  in  general, 
we  can  range  in  one  group  the  wits,  in  another,  the  humorists 
of  all  time.  Similarly,  the  wittiest  people  on  the  face  of  the 
earth  have  been  declared  by  one  of  their  own  great  countrymen 
to  be  absolutely  destitute  of  humor;2  while  the  Americans, 
whose  humor  is  certainly  most  pervading  and  universal,  if  not 
of  the  highest  quality,  are  not  especially  witty.  The  explana- 
tion seems  to  be  that  lucidity  of  penetration,  the  principal 
source  of  wit,  and  imaginative  power,  the  source  of  humor,  are 
very  seldom  so  evenly  balanced,  as  they  were  in  Martial's  case. 

Certain  qualities  of  temperament,  as  well  as  of  mind,  were 
contributing  influences  to  his  literary  work.  Chief  among  these 
was  a  cynical  indifference,  an  absence  of  intense  purpose.  In 
this  careless  ease,  he  resembles  the  great  humorist  of  his  nation, 
Petronius.  The  quality  in  both  is  the  more  remarkable,  be- 
cause it  is  rarely  found  in  a  Roman  character.  The  slight  de- 
gree of  emotion  and  interest  which  these  two  men  attached  to 
the  ordinary  view  of  success  made  it  possible  for  them  to  regard 
life  as  a  continuous  comedy.  Only  those  who  are  not  acting  a 
part  in  the  comedy  of  life  can  be  the  true  spectators.  Had 
Martial  energetically  devoted  himself  to  legal  practice,  as  his 

JEp.  3,  21. 

2  Taine,  in  a  discussion  of  the  difference  between  the  French  and  the  Eng- 
lish, in  his  "Histoire  de  la  litterature  anglaise. "  See  also  Baldensperger  for 
full  explanation  of  the  uses  in  France  of  the  word  "humor. " 


Martial's  Wit  and  Humor  39 

friends  advised,1  he  could  not  have  written  the  epigrams.  His 
sense  of  the  ludicrous  had  free  play,  because  of  that  temper- 
amental laziness  and  love  of  ease,2  which  finally  made  the  bond- 
age of  social  duties  intolerable  to  him  and  gave  him  a  longing 
for  the  inactivity  of  country  life.  His  personal  humility  is  a 
kindred  quality,  which  made  possible  that  complete  abandon 
needed  by  the  man  clad  in  motley.  Holmes  has  well  observed 
that  the  wit  knows  that  his  place  is  at  the  tail  of  the  procession. 
Martial  was  entirely  willing  to  take  this  place;  to  dispense  with 
admiration  and  to  enjoy  mere  popularity.3  Not  that  he  under- 
valued his  literary  importance.  With  that  unwavering  assurance 
of  future  fame,  which  is  so  characteristic  of  the  Romans,  which 
found  its  earliest  expression  in  the  epitaph  of  Naevius,  its  most 
triumphant,  in  the  Exegi  monumentum,  he  declares  that  his 
work  shall  live  when  the  marbles  along  the  great  roads  have 
crumbled  to  fragments.4  But  this  conviction  never  caused  him 
to  lose  sight  of  the  humble  rank  to  which  epigram  and  epigram- 
matist are  entitled.5  He  tells  his  friends,  that  the  reading  of 
his  poems  is  about  as  agreeable  and  profitable  a  diversion,  as 
playing  games  with  nuts.6  His  attitude  is  expressed  in  the 
words:  nos  haec  novimus  esse  nihil.7  This  freedom  from  pride 
often  enabled  him  to  see  the  ridiculous  where  others  were  blind. 
Yet  another  characteristic,  which  helps  to  explain  his  literary 
achievement,  is  his  dread  of  ennui.8  In  this  respect  he  seems 
almost  like  a  Frenchman.  His  own  desire  for  amusement  made 
him  desire  to  give  amusement  to  others.  His  ambition  was  to 
add  to  the  pleasure  of  the  hours  spent  over  the  wine  and  the 
dice.9  He  claimed  as  his  special  right,  the  frivolous  season  of 
the  Saturnalia.10  He  was  glad  to  provide  entertainment  even 

1 II,  30,  5;  II,  90. 

2  VI,  43;  XII,  68. 

3  IX,  pr.  6. 

4  VIII,  3,  5-8.     Cf.  VII,  84,  7-8;  X,  2. 

5  XII,  94,  9- 

6  V,  30,  7-8-     C/.  I,  113,3-4- 

7  XIII,  2,  8.     Gay  was  wont  to  preface  his  works  with  these  words. 

8  VII,  3- 

9  II,  i,  9-10;  IV,  14,  6-12. 

10  V,  30,  5-6. 


40  Martial's  Wit  and  Humor 

for  the  idle  crowd  that  gathered  in  the  porticoes  to  bet  on  the 
races.1  He  had  a  great  horror  of  boring  people.2  His  intense 
dislike  of  dullness  and  triteness  had  much  to  do  with  making 
him  the  wit  that  he  was. 

His  talent  was  favored  by  external  circumstances.  He  was 
fortunate  in  the  material  for  his  themes.  Life  was  so  inconsist- 
ent and  insincere  that,  as  Juvenal  said,  it  was  hard  to  keep  from 
writing  satire.  The  highly  stratified  society,  with  freedmen  at 
the  top,  could  show  such  extremes  of  obsequiousness,  affecta- 
tion, and  snobbery,  as  have  happily  not  been  paralleled  in  any 
other  period.  Caste  lines  were  sharply  drawn;  the  rich  enjoyed 
special  privileges;  and  the  unworthy  could  most  easily  leap  the 
barriers  between  classes.3  The  inevitable  result  was  absurd 
emulation  on  the  part  of  those  in  the  lower  strata  and  vulgar 
arrogance  in  high  places.  The  importance  of  seeming  to  be 
rich  caused  extravagant  outlay  for  showy  luxuries.  Men  lived 
for  appearances.  Shams  and  pretensions  were  dominant.  Even 
literature  and  art  had  their  peculiar  affectations.4  Religious 
hypocrisy,  the  vice  which  is  the  favorite  theme  of  English  satire, 
is,  indeed,  for  the  most  part,  conspicuous  by  its  absence.  Per- 
haps the  explanation  may  be  that  when  religion  takes  her  de- 
parture, hypocrisy  accompanies  her,  although  superstition 
often  remains  behind.  Yet  two  epigrams  prove  that  even  in 
that  wicked  age,  cant  was  not  entirely  unknown.5  On  the  whole, 
Folly  has  seldom  appeared  in  so  many  different  guises.  Like 
the  court  of  Louis  XIV,  which  has  been  called  "a  despotism 
tempered  by  epigrams,"  the  age  of  Domitian  was  peculiarly 
adapted  to  furnish  sport  for  the  wearer  of  cap  and  bells.  After 
Martial  had  retired  to  Spain,  he  fully  recognized  what  a  variety 
of  themes  had  been  at  hand  in  the  infinite  complexity  and  the 
infinite  contrasts  of  the  metropolis.  In  an  outburst  of  despair, 
he  declared  that  the  genius  lay  in  the  very  subject  matter  itself.6 

*XI,  i,  10-16. 

2 II,  i,  11-12;  IV,  89. 

3V,56. 

4V,  10;  VIII,  69. 

5  IX,  70;  XII,  70. 

6  XII,  pr. 


Martial's  Wit  and  Humor  41 

Another  circumstance  that  greatly  favored  the  epigram- 
matist, was  the  character  of  his  audience.  Wit  must  have  ap- 
preciation. Its  jewels  have  always  been  displayed  in  greatest 
profusion  in  such  sympathetic  circles  as  those  that  gathered  at 
the  Mermaid  Tavern  or  at  Will's  Coffee  House.  Friendly 
listeners  will  often  inspire  dull  people  to  say  bright  things.  A 
goal,  as  well  as  a  starting-point,  is  needed  for  the  electric  flash. 
In  Rome  there  were  countless  idlers  that  would  warmly  welcome 
the  author  of  a  bon  mot.  Thus  Martial's  wit  made  him  a  social 
favorite  and  a  frequent  guest  at  the  tables  of  the  wealthy.1 
And  the  very  applause  which  he  there  received  was  a  spur  to 
his  talent.  In  fact,  he  doubtless  improvised2  many  of  his  epi- 
grams at  the  dinner  table,  just  as  the  wits  of  the  Queen  Anne 
age  wrote  on  their  wine  glasses  the  bright  thoughts  inspired  by 
the  wine  and  the  good  company.  For  many  of  the  epigrams  are 
simply  crystallizations  of  conversational  repartee.  When  the 
first  book  was  published,  it  met  with  a  very  favorable  reception.3 
The  readers  found  in  the  wit  a  most  agreeable  revenge  for  the 
thousand  social  annoyances  of  the  day.  They  had  been  irri- 
tated by  the  arrogance  of  the  rich  freedmen,  the  burden  of 
clientage,  and  the  stinginess  of  patrons.  Hence,  they  felt  grate- 
ful to  the  man  who  could  assail  their  oppressors.  The  variety 
of  view  points,  taken  in  the  different  epigrams,  made  the  appeal 
a  very  wide  one.  One  man  enjoyed  the  attack  on  the  money 
lender;4  another,  that  on  the  borrower.5  Consequently,  the 
books  were  so  popular,  that  the  dealers  took  them  down  from 
the  shelves  before  the  customers  had  time  to  state  their  wants.6 
Even  men  of  high  official  position  would  neglect  the  business  of 
the  hour  to  enjoy  the  latest  book.7  The  unusual  responsiveness 
of  the  public8  was  a  strong  incentive  to  the  creative  faculty. 

1  IX,  97,  9-10.     Friedlaender  shrewdly  suggests  that  Martial  is  speaking 
of  himself  in  VII,  76. 

2  Friedlaender. 

3V,  16,  3;  VI,  60,  1-2. 

4  II,  30. 

5  IV,  15;  VIII,  37- 

6  I,  117,  13-17. 

7  VII,  97,  5-6- 

8  That  the  epigrams  were  favorite  reading  for  journeys  is  proved  by  I,  2. 
Emerson,  in  traveling,  was  in  the  habit  of  taking  along  a  volume  of  Martial. 


42  Martial's  Wit  and  Humor 

In  the  language  at  hand,  Martial  was  peculiarly  fortunate. 
It  is  true  that,  when  any  language  has  been  wielded  in  some 
definite  way  with  especial  success,  we  are  disposed  to  infer  the 
adaptability  of  the  language  from  the  accident  of  individual 
talent.  But  certain  characteristics  of  Latin  seem  to  indicate 
peculiar  fitness  for  epigrammatic  expression.  In  the  first  place, 
it  is  free  from  emotion,  marked  by  frigidity  and  sententious- 
ness,  accordingly  but  ill  adapted  to  the  lyric.  Now  the  epi- 
gram is  the  one  form  of  poetry  that  involves  little  emotion;  it 
is  distinctively  intellectual.  So  true  is  this  that  the  German 
word  "  Sinngedicht "  is  derived  from  the  idea  of  thought  and  re- 
flection. Again,  brevity  and  conciseness,  capacity  for  com- 
pression, are  too  characteristic  of  Latin  writers,  from  Cato  to 
Tacitus,  to  be  merely  accidental;  these,  too,  are  the  very  essen- 
tials of  the  epigram.  Perhaps  the  most  marked  feature  of  Latin 
is  its  periodic  structure,  due  to  the  high  degree  of  inflection,  its 
power  to  accumulate  effect  or  to  gain  effect  by  arrangement. 
The  wit  of  epigrammatic  poetry  almost  hangs  upon  arrangement ; 
the  resolution  must  be  saved  for  the  right  moment,  and  at  the 
same  time,  inversions  must  be  perfectly  natural.  Furthermore, 
Latin  readily  lends  itself  to  the  antithetic  form  which  wit  so 
often  assumes.  Hence,  the  instinct  which  has  made  epigram- 
matists of  every  period  turn  to  this  language  for  expression,  has 
not  been  without  its  basis  in  real  reason. 

But  the  language  could  be  of  service  only  to  the  man  who  knew 
how  to  use  it.  Martial's  ready  command  of  its  resources  con- 
tributes more  to  the  wit  and  humor  than  the  casual  reader  is 
likely  to  perceive.  His  style  is  as  clear  as  a  crystal.  He  has  a 
great  horror  of  obscurity.  He  desires  that  he  may  please  the 
learned,  but  may  not  need  their  interpretation.1  He  has  that 
same  natural,  conversational  quality  in  the  use  of  language  as 
distinguishes  the  English  epigrammatist,  Prior.  He  always 
avoids  the  pitfalls  of  labored  effort  and  of  inflation.2  He  wisely 
prefers  to  be  negligent  in  expression  than  to  be  over-precise.3 

1X,  21. 

2 II,  86,  9-10;   IV,  49,  7-8. 

2 IX,  81,  2-3.  XIV,  120,  shows  a  preference  for  the  colloquial  form  of  a 
word  to  the  etymological  form  used  by  half  educated  schoolmasters. 


Martial's  Wit  and  Humor  43 

The  easy  simplicity  of  his  style  gives  to  his  jokes  the  same  telling 
effect  that  the  apparent  carelessness  of  the  narrator  gives  to  the 
humorous  story. 

From  the  time  when  he  began  to  write  until  he  left  Rome, 
there  was  but  little  change  in  the  quality  or  power  of  his  wit  and 
humor.  The  probability  is  that  most  of  his  epigrams  were 
written  after  he  reached  middle  age.  There  must  be  a  slight 
exaggeration  in  his  reference  to  the  jokes  of  his  boyhood.1 
Authors  have  not  infrequently  been  disposed  to  assign  their 
work  to  the  period  of  youth  in  order  to  gain  more  tolerant  treat- 
ment. At  least,  we  know  that  Martial  was  about  twenty-five 
years  old  when  he  came  to  Rome.  He  can  hardly  have  written 
much  before  this  time.  City  life  alone  can  foster  wit.  The 
years  immediately  succeeding  his  arrival  must  have  been  spent 
in  acquiring  familiarity  with  the  great  city.  Some  social  ex- 
perience must  have  been  needed  before  the  provincial  could 
discover  where  his  talent  lay.  Besides,  the  taste  for  satire  comes 
only  with  maturity.  The  cynical  element  is  not  congenial  to 
the  hopeful  enthusiasm  of  youth.  Hence,  most  of  the  epigrams 
were  probably  composed  after  Martial  was  forty  years  of  age. 
The  fertility  of  his  genius  up  to  the  time  when  he  returned  to 
Spain  is  amazing.2  Had  he  remained  at  Rome,  his  creative 
power  would  have  shown  no  tendency  to  wane.  For  the  darts 
of  wit  and  the  edge  of  satire  are  not  dulled,  but  sharpened  by 
advancing  years. 

His  literary  fate,  however,  had  already  been  determined. 
Immortality  is  his,  because  he  first  embodied  and  combined 
in  the  form  of  the  epigram  many  kinds  of  wit  and  humor. 
Judged  from  the  poetical  standpoint  alone,  he  could  claim  no 
high  rank.  He  was  a  stranger  to  the  love,  longing,  and  hope 
which  makes  the  lyric  poet.  It  is  true  that  he  did  possess  a 
slight  portion  of  the  idyllic  spirit;  a  feeling  for  the  delights  of 
the  country  and  a  power  to  picture  the  charms  of  the  hunt  and  of 

*I.  113.  i- 

2  His  talent  seems  the  more  remarkable  when  we  consider  that  his  wit  was 
his  dependence.  Cf.  IV,  49,  1-2,  and  remarks  by  Charles  Lamb  in  News- 
papers Thirty-five  Years  Ago,  on  the  difficulty  of  furnishing  a  stipulated  num- 
ber of  jokes. 


44  Martial's  Wit  and  Humor 

the  farmer's  fireside.1  Now  and  then  he  shows  a  certain  affinity 
with  Herrick.  But  his  descriptions  of  country  life  are  relatively 
few  and  are  far  inferior  to  similar  classic,  as  well  as  modern,  de- 
lineations. The  deadening  effect  of  his  residence  in  Spain, 
where  he  was  surrounded  by  rich  rural  beauty,  is  clear  proof 
that  his  talent  was  not  essentially  idyllic.  But  in  humor  and 
wit,  he  occupies  an  absolutely  unique  place.2  His  humor  in 
some  instances,  to  be  sure,  is  marred  by  change  of  customs  and 
ideals.  As  humor  makes  a  demand  on  the  sympathies,  it  loses 
its  effect  when  viewpoints  change.  While  it  is  enjoyed,  it 
pleases  far  more  than  wit.  It  has  the  further  advantage,  that 
it  will  not  be  hurt  by  frequent  rereading,  so  long  as  the  reader's 
likes  and  dislikes  remain  fixed.  But  it  suffers  instantly  from  a 
change  in  taste.  It  is,  accordingly,  only  natural  that  Martial's 
humor  should  have  lost  value  for  the  modern  world.  Yet,  we 
should  not  forget  that  it  widely  appealed  to  the  people  of  his 
day.  It  was  delightfully  amusing  to  the  Romans,  familiar  by 
daily  experience  with  the  oddities  upon  which  he  turned  the 
searchlight  of  his  own  keen  observation.  Moreover,  it  is  occa- 
sionally so  rich  that  it  impresses  some  readers  as  his  distinctive 
quality.  His  wit,  however,  is  his  real  title  to  fame.  It  will 
never  lose  its  value;  for  it  appeals  to  the  intellect,  not  to  the 
sympathies.  It  is  remarkable  for  variety,  vivacity,  overflowing 
wealth,  and  frequent  fineness  and  delicacy.  It  is,  in  rare  in- 
stances, so  brilliant,  that  we  feel  as  if  Martial  "had  meant  to 
fling  his  whole  soul  in  the  jest  and  live  a  fool  the  rest  of  his  dull 
life."  He  has  been  more  successful  than  Lessing  or  Goethe, 
Prior  or  Burns,  in  combining  in  a  few  short  lines  many  tones  of 
wit,  humor,  irony,  and  satire.  In  his  peculiar  field,  the  Latin 
epigrammatist  has  been  imitated  by  many,  equalled  by  none. 

1 1,  49- 

2  During  the  life  time  of  Martial,  his  wit  and  humor  were  the  chief  grounds 
of  his  fame.  The  only  epigram  which  he  mentions  because  of  its  unusual 
popularity  (VIII,  28,  mentioned  in  IX,  49,  1-2)  is  richly  humorous. 


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Index  of  References  to  Epigrams 


Book.  Epigram 
Sp.   2  . 

Page  of 
Thesis. 

.  24 

I 

5ook.  Epigram. 
43  . 

Page  of 
Thesis. 

24 

Book. 

Epigram 
108  .  . 

Page  of 
Thesis 

10,  27,  20 

So.,  4.  . 

26 

,    44 

10  21 

IOO 

24  25  28 

So   7 

25 

47 

13  24 

no 

22  3d 

Sp.,  Q  . 

25 

48  . 

26 

112  . 

27 

Sp.,  26  . 

24 

40  . 

44 

113 

30  43 

Sp.,  2Q  .  . 

25 

5O  .. 

.  .  .   12 

114.  . 

23 

Sp..  31  . 

24. 

51  . 

26 

115 

27 

pr.  . 

.  .25,  37 

,    52  .  . 

.  20 

117  .  . 

.  12,  18,  41 

»    !  • 

7 

53  • 

20 

118. 

18 

•7  . 

18  29 

54.  . 

22 

II 

i   18 

20  30  dO 

4  .. 

24 

55  .  . 

.  24 

II, 

3  •  • 

.  23 

•        S  • 

18  23 

56  . 

28 

II, 

5 

2d 

g 

26 

57  . 

2d 

II 

6   18 

23  20  3d 

,    10  .. 
II 

25 

23  28 

59  
60 

....  24 
26 

II, 
II 

7  .... 
8 

....13,  34 
18 

,     12  ... 

.26 

63.  . 

.  24 

II, 

II 

.  .  .  .23,  28 

J-5  . 

25 

64 

25 

II, 

12  .  . 

26 

14 

27 

66 

24  3d 

II 

13 

13 

15  . 

25 

68  

21 

II, 

.  .  15,  21 

17  . 

21 

60 

II  28 

II, 

15 

28 

18 

24  2Q  34 

7O 

2Q 

II 

16 

15  26 

10  . 

II  34 

72  .  . 

20 

II, 

17.  . 

12 

20 

21 

78 

27 

II, 

18 

23,  20 

,    21  . 

25 

70.  . 

...  22 

II, 

10-  • 

.  23 

24  . 

23 

80 

28 

II, 

2O  . 

.  2O 

25 

24 

81 

2O 

II 

23 

20 

26  . 

28 

85 

12 

II, 

24.  . 

.  2d 

27 

26 

86 

15  25 

II, 

27 

IS 

28  .  . 

3O 

80.  . 

1C 

II, 

20-  • 

.  .27,  31 

20 

21 

QI 

24  27 

II, 

3O  . 

.24,  30,  41 

3O  . 

.  .  13,  2O 

05-  . 

....  22 

II, 

32  . 

24 

-52  . 

2^ 

07.  • 

1C 

II, 

35  • 

ii,  28,  34 

•2-2   . 

.  15 

98  

.  .  .  .  2O 

II, 

37.  .  .  . 

26 

38  .. 

2O 

00-  • 

28 

II, 

38.. 

.  .  .21,   27 

4O 

24 

IOO  .... 

12,  15 

II, 

40.  . 

15 

dl 

2O 

1  02 

27 

II, 

41  . 

.  20 

I,    42  . 

34 

T 

107  . 

.  10,  20 

II, 

43  •  I5, 

23,  29,  34 

48 

Martial's  Wit  and  Humor 


49 


Book.  Epigram 

II,   44  •  •  • 

Page  of 
Thesis. 

.  15,  28,  34 

Book.  Epigram. 
Ill,  22  

Page  of 
Thesis. 

•  15,  26 

Book.  Epigram. 

IV,  27  

Page  of 
Thesis. 

10 

II,   46.. 

24 

Ill,  25  

.23,  28 

IV,  29 

6,  8 

II,   S3-.- 
II,   55 

36 
26 

Ill,  27  
HI,  29  

...30 
16 

IV,  31  ... 

IV,   12 

12,  16,  37 
26 

II,   57 

I  c; 

HI,  30  .  . 

21 

IV  11 

27 

II,   59-.. 

26 

Ill,  31  

...  27 

IV,  34.. 

2O 

II,   64... 

.  24 

HI,  33-. 

21 

IV,  16  . 

II  24. 

II,   6s 

18,  27 

HI,  34.. 

26 

IV,  17 

IS  l8  21 

II,   66... 

•  29 

Ill,  35  

...  28 

IV,  40  

27 

II,   67... 

21 

Ill,  36  

.27,  29 

IV,  41  .  . 

21 

II,   68.  .. 

•  24 

Ill,  37  . 

24,  36 

IV,  44 

26 

II,   69 

.  .  .  15,  23 

HI,  39 

II  ,  26 

IV  46 

11   14. 

II,   7i  -6, 

18,  27,  34 

III,  40  

...  28 

IV,  47  .  . 

21 

II,   74  . 

.  .  IS,  27 

Ill,  41  

.  18 

IV,   4Q  17, 

24,  42,  41 

II,   77  ... 

.20,  26,  31 

Ill,  43  

.11,  29 

IV,  51  

27 

II,   78... 

28 

Ill,  44.. 

.  IS 

IV,  53  .  . 

2O 

II,   79  .  .  . 

.  .  .  .23,  26 

Ill,  45 

.IS,  20 

IV,  55 

II,   80.  . 

26 

III,  46 

27,  14 

IV,  56 

10,  20 

II,   81... 
II,   85  ... 

27 
...  .19,  28 

HI,  47  
Ill,  48  .  . 

•13,  23 
.  IS 

IV,  60.... 
IV,  61  .  .  . 

26 

18 

II,   86  .  .. 

.12,  42 

Ill,  50 

IS 

IV,  62 

is 

II,   88  .  .. 

.  .  .  .24,  27 

III,  56  

...  28 

IV,  65  

II 

II,   90... 

•  19 

Ill,  58... 

IV,  66  .   . 

.  14 

II,   9i  -. 
II,   92... 

....19,  24 
28 

HI,  59  
Ill,  60  

...13 
...  26 

IV,  67.... 
IV,  68  

24 
.  24 

II,   93  . 

.  .28,  29 

Ill,  61.. 

...  22 

IV,  69. 

.  21 

Ill,  i  .... 

Ill,   2 

.28,  29,  32 

20 

Ill,  62  
HI  63 

...  22 
21 

IV,  70.... 
IV,  72 

21 
22,  12 

III,  4  ... 

.  .  .  .27,  36 

III,  64 

21,  27 

IV,  71.. 

26 

Ill,  5  

.  20 

III,  66 

24. 

IV,  74 

26 

III,  7. 

10 

III  67 

21 

IV,  75 

26 

Ill,  8 

21 

III   04 

24. 

IV   76 

19  28 

III,  9.. 

•  21 

III,  99 

2O 

IV,  77 

18,  27 

Ill,   10.  . 

2S 

III   100 

18  21 

IV,  78 

Ill,  ii 

22 

IV   2 

2O 

IV   79 

IS.  27 

III,   12... 

•  29 

IV,  10    .  . 

18,  21 

IV,  80 

21 

Ill,  13... 

21 

IV,  n 

24. 

IV,  81 

.  IS,  24 

Ill,  14 

20 

IV,  14 

1O 

JV   85 

16 

III,  15 

21 

IV   is 

18  41 

IV  86 

20 

III  16 

21 

IV   18 

26 

IV  88 

18 

III,  18.. 

.  .  .  .    2O 

IV,   20 

24. 

IV,  89 

.21,  20,  4O 

Ill,  19 

26 

IV   21 

7  27 

V   i 

.  ..  18 

III,  20 

II  12 

IV   24 

27 

V    4 

26 

III.  21.. 

.  24 

IV.  26  .  ..m 

.  27.  ^4. 

V.   q.  . 

..6,  27 

Martial's  Wit  and  Humor 


Book.  Epigram. 

V,   8  .... 
V,   9.  . 

Page  of 
Thesis. 

.  .  .  .10,  26 
•  13 

Book.  Epigram. 

V,   63  
V,   64  

Page  of 
Thesis. 

...  22 

...  26 

Book.  Epigram 
VI,   63  .16 
VI,   65 

Page  of 
Thesis. 

,  22,  23,  29 
24.  ^1 

V,   10  . 

4O 

V,   65  . 

24 

VI,   68 

21 

v,  13 

24. 

V,   66 

22 

VI,   70 

2C 

V,   14  . 

.  .  .  16,  24 

V,   70  .. 

28 

VI,   72 

16 

V,   is 

24,  V7 

V,   71 

26 

VI,   74 

ii 

V,   16  .  .  . 

.  19,  27,  41 

V,   73  .  . 

24 

VI,   75  . 

27,  3O 

V,   17 

16,  23 

V,   74  .. 

20 

VI,   77 

12  2Q 

V,   18  .  .  . 

.  .26,  29 

V,   75  

...  2O 

VI,   78  .  .  . 

.  l6,  24 

V,   IQ.. 

10 

V,   76  .  . 

28 

VI,   80 

24 

V,    21 

28  34 

V,   70 

18  26 

VI,   82 

18 

V,   22  

26 

V,   81  

26,  36 

VI,   84  .  . 

21,  24 

V,    23 

28 

V,   84 

21 

VI,   86 

27 

V,   24... 

26 

VI,  5  

..  .  18 

VI,   87.. 

24 

V,    25.. 

27 

VI,  6... 

28 

VI,   88 

16 

V,   26  ... 

22,  28,  3O 

VI,  8  

.27,  36 

VI,   94  .  .  . 

.  .  l6,  2T> 

V,    27.. 

16 

VI,  9.. 

20 

VII,  3  

24,  'Z.O 

V,   28 

-24. 

VI,  10 

10 

VII,  4 

I  z 

V,   29  .... 
V,   30 

27 

1  8  30 

VI,  ii  

VI,   12 

.24,  26 

1  1  20 

VII,  5.... 
VII,  8 

26 

7 

V,   31  .. 

26 

VI,  15.. 

.  26 

VII,  9  

28 

V,   32  .... 
V,   33  .. 

28 
18 

VI,  17  
VI,  18  

26,  27 
.  .  .  26 

VII,  n... 

VII,   12... 

26 

.  37 

V,   34  . 

J-2   1.1. 

VI,  19. 

15 

VII,  13... 

IS 

V,   35  .. 

12 

VI,   20  

.  .  .  23 

VII,  16.... 

19 

V,   36  . 

18,  27 

VI,  24.. 

28 

VII,  17  

.  20 

V,   37 

?A 

VI,  28 

24.  33 

VII,  19 

26 

V,    38  ,  12, 

V,   39 

21,  26,  28 

18  26  28 

VI,  29  
VI,  30 

.  .  .  26 

18 

VII,  20  ... 
VII,  21.  .. 

.16,  23,  30 
21 

V,   40.  . 

28 

VI,  35  . 

16,  23 

VII,  23  

24 

V,   42  .. 

26 

VI,  40..   . 

24 

VII,  25  

.  37 

V    43 

II  24. 

VI,  41 

26 

VII,  27 

12 

V,   45.. 

2^ 

VI,  42  . 

23 

VII,  31  .  .  . 

.  ...  13,  26 

V,   47 

23 

VI,  43 

30 

VII,  33 

28 

V,   49  .. 

.  .     II 

VI,  46.  ., 

.  34 

VII,  36  

24 

V,   50 

16  28 

VI,  48 

26 

VII,  37  . 

12 

V,   51  •  •  •  • 

V,   52  . 

..  .15,  16 
22,  24,  25 

VI,  51  

VI,  53 

...30 
13 

VII,  38.... 
VII,  39  . 

26 

.  .  .  .  16,  23 

V    53 

17  21 

VI,  55 

2d 

VII,  41 

26 

V,   54  . 

.  .  l6,  23 

VI,  57  . 

ii,  28 

VII,  43.. 

24 

V,   56 

36,  4O 

VI,  59    18, 

28  20 

VII,  44.  . 

.  24 

V,   57  .. 

.  23 

VI,  60  17, 

37,  41 

VII,  45  

24 

V,   58  -  -  -  . 
V.   62  . 

...26,  33 
18.  28.  20 

VI,  61  
VI.  62  .  . 

20,  23 
.  20 

VII,  46  ... 
VII,  47.. 

.  .  .  .16,  2O 
.  26 

Martial's  Wit  and  Humor 


Book.  Epigram 

VII      48 

Page  of 
Thesis. 

20 

Book.  Epigram. 
VIII,    21.  .  .  . 

Page  of 
Thesis. 

28 

Book.  Epigram. 
IX,      18 

Page  of 
Thesis. 

2T. 

VII      5i 

16 

VIII,     22 

2O 

IX       19 

24 

VII,     ^3 

12 

VIII,   23  

28 

IX,     29  

7? 

VII,     54 

.  .  .    16 

VIII,   24  

.    19 

IX,     35  .    . 

16,  2^ 

VII,     59... 

27 

VIII,   25.... 

21 

IX,     38  

26 

VII,     60  .  .  . 

.  19,  24,  32 

VIII,   28  .19, 

27,  29,  32 

IX,     42  

.    10 

VII,     61      . 

•   25 

VIII,  29  

28 

IX,     46  .... 

16 

VII,     64 

.    23 

VIII,   33  

28.  29,  34 

IX,     48  .  . 

18,  24 

VII,     65... 
VII,     66... 

13 
27 

VIII,   35.... 
VIII,   37  ... 

28 

•  •  .27,  41 

IX,     49  .18, 
IX,     50  

20,  27,  44 

.    20 

VII,     72     .  . 

.  .  .  .26,  37 

VIII,   38  

24 

IX,     52  

.    27 

VII,     73 

.  .  26 

VIII,   39.  . 

.    24 

IX,     53    . 

IQ 

VII      76 

24,  41 

VIII,   40      . 

2^ 

IX,     54 

26 

VII,     77.. 

.  24 

VIII,   41  ... 

.  .  .18,  24 

IX,     58  ... 

.  .18,  23 

VII,     78.  .. 

16 

VIII,   48  

.    34 

IX,     59... 

I  S 

VII,     79 

2T. 

VIII,   52 

28 

IX,     68 

2J. 

VII,     81... 

23 

VIII,   55  ... 

...  .6,  19 

IX,     70  

.  40 

VII,     83.    . 

28 

VIII,   56  

•   24 

IX,     72  ... 

.  .  10,   21 

VII,     84 

2Q,   "*Q 

VIII,    57 

II,  20 

IX,     73 

VII,     85 

24 

VIII,   58 

21 

IX      75 

28 

VII,     86  .  .  . 

16,  26 

VIII,   59  . 

.  .  .16,  26 

IX,     77.. 

26 

VII,     87 

IT. 

VIII,   60   .  .  . 

23 

IX,     78 

.    28 

VII,     88... 

•    34 

VIII,   61   ... 

.  .  .18,  27 

IX,     79  

26 

VII,     89  .  .  . 

.  .27,   32 

VIII,   62  

21 

IX,     81   .  .  . 

.  .20,  42 

VII,     90 

2T. 

VIII,   64  ... 

.  .  .  l6,  21 

IX,     82  ..    . 

21 

VII,     92    18 

21     2\    ^4 

VIII,   67 

28     "34 

IX,     84 

24 

VII,     97  .  .  . 

.24,  20,  4-1 

VIII,   68  

26 

IX,     85  

29 

VII,     98 

22 

VIII,   69     .    . 

27,  ^4,  4O 

IX,     87.  .  .  . 

21 

VII,     99 

7 

VIII,    71 

28 

IX,     88 

.    20 

VIII,    i  

•    20 

VIII,   72  

.    20 

IX,     94  

27 

VIII,   3  .... 
VIII,   5 

....17,  39 

20 

VIII,    74  .-. 
VIII,    75 

...13,24 
12 

IX,     95    ..- 
IX,     96 

28 
.  .  12,   13 

VIII,   6  

.  .  .  .  16,  22 

VIII,    76  ... 

.  .  .27,   32 

IX,     97  ... 

21,  23,  41 

VIII,    7  

.16,  26,  28 

VIII,   77  

26 

IX,     98  

VIII,   9  

.    20 

VIII,    79.  . 

16 

IX,     100   .  . 

21 

VIII,    10 

2^ 

VIII,   81 

16,  27 

IX,       102 

.     10 

VIII,     12 

26 

IX,       pr. 

7    ^Q 

X        i 

.      8 

VIII,    13... 

26 

IX,       6  

22 

X,         2  

39 

VIII,   14  .  .  . 
VIII,    16 

.18,  28,  29 
i  -i  20 

IX,       8  
IX,       9 

26 
26 

X,       3  .... 
X        4 

24,  29,  37 

VIII,    17 

10,  28 

IX,       10 

24 

X           5 

-   36 

VIII,    18 

24.     T>2 

IX,       ii 

12     ^4 

X        8 

27 

VIII,    19.  .. 

.    23 

IX,       14  

.    24 

X,       9  . 

.7,  23,  29 

VIII.    20.  . 

IX.       15  . 

.  .22.  28 

X.       10.. 

Martial's  Wit  and  Humor 


Book. 

x, 

Epigram. 

17 

Page  of 

Thesis. 

.  26 

Book. 

x, 

Epigram. 

89 

Page  of 
Thesis. 

24 

Book. 
XII 

Epigram. 
2 

Page  of 
Thesis. 

2O 

X, 

14.  . 

* 

x, 

94  .... 

26 

XII, 

7 

*y 
ii 

x, 

16.  .  .  . 

.  2? 

x, 

96. 

7.4 

XII, 

IO 

2/1 

x, 

X, 

17  — 

18.  .  .  . 

21 
-  2Q 

x, 
x, 

97  
100.  .  . 

23 

2Q 

XII, 
XII, 

12.  .  .  . 
17 

27 
24.  l6 

Ki 

21  ... 

.  .  .24,  42 

x, 

101  .  .  . 

27 

XII, 

14.  . 

24 

x, 

21  .  . 

26 

x, 

104.  .  . 

.  20 

XII, 

IK. 

24. 

x, 

24 

28 

x, 

102  . 

7Q 

XII, 

17 

28  29 

x, 

x, 

25  — 

10.  . 

26 

.  24 

XI, 

XI, 

I  .... 

7  .  . 

....29,  40 

10 

XII, 
XII, 

19  ... 

21 

....21,  23 
26 

x 

^1 

.  26 

XI, 

A 

24. 

XII 

22 

1  1 

x, 

12  .  . 

•  27 

XI, 

IO.  .  .  . 

27 

XII, 

27 

II 

x 

*1  ^ 

^7 

XI, 

12 

22  26 

XII 

25 

24  28  2Q 

x, 

15.  . 

.  24 

XI, 

14  ... 

.  .  .  .21,  28 

XII, 

28 

16 

x, 

16 

28 

XI, 

18 

2O,  28 

XII 

20 

2/1 

X, 

17  .  . 

.  23 

XI, 

24  ... 

.  .24,  76 

XII, 

IO 

24 

x, 

70 

.  28,  14 

XI, 

71  . 

1^ 

XII, 

T.A 

24. 

X 

41 

28 

XI, 

-22 

26 

XII 

16 

2Q 

x, 

47  .  . 

.  27 

XI, 

77  . 

74. 

XII, 

77 

24 

x 

44 

26 

XI, 

74. 

27 

XII 

TO 

2O  22 

X, 

45.  . 

.  20 

XI, 

15  . 

26 

XII, 

41 

16 

x, 

x, 

47---- 

40. 

24 
.  20 

XI, 
XI, 

37  
38.  . 

23 
26 

XII, 

XII, 

45-  •• 
46 

26 

24 

x, 

53  .... 

28 

XI, 

42  ... 

.  .  17,  20 

XII, 

47.  . 

2O 

X, 

54  . 

.  .  16,  21 

XI, 

44-  . 

.  2^ 

XII, 

40  . 

18,  21 

x, 

c6 

1^,  27 

XI, 

54 

22 

XII, 

CQ 

26 

x, 

57  .  . 

.  21 

XI, 

56.  . 

26 

XII, 

51-  - 

21 

x, 

CO 

2Q 

XI, 

SO 

16 

XII, 

54 

II 

x, 

60  ... 

.  .  .23,  26 

XI, 

65  .  .  .  . 

26 

XII, 

56  . 

.  .  .  .18,  21 

x, 

6l   .  . 

.  21 

XI, 

67.  . 

.  27 

XII, 

57 

17 

x, 

62  .... 

26 

XI, 

68  

28 

XII, 

58.  . 

2O 

x, 
x, 

69.-.. 

7O 

26 

17 

XI, 
XI, 

76.... 
70 

28 

28 

XII, 
XII, 

63  ... 

66 

18,  29 
16,  28 

x, 

x, 

73  •  •  •  • 
77, 

29 

20 

XI, 

XI, 

83--.. 
84 

27 

28,  20 

XII, 
XII, 

68.  .. 
60 

39 

27 

x, 

x, 

74  ... 
76 

.  .  .23,  26 
24,  l6 

XI, 

XI, 

86.  ... 
02 

24 
7.O 

XII, 
XII, 

70  .  .  . 

72 

.  .  .  .  16,  40 
17,  24 

x, 

77 

J7 

XI, 

Q7 

2O 

XII, 

76 

12 

X, 

70 

.24,  20 

XI, 

IO2  .  .  . 

28 

XII, 

78  . 

.  .20,  IO 

x, 

80 

16 

XI, 

IO5 

10 

XII, 

80 

.  24 

X, 

82  .... 

.  24 

XI, 

106.  .  . 

18 

XII, 

81  .  .  . 

.  .  .  .20,  34 

x, 

87 

1  1,  26,  29 

XI, 

IO7 

27 

XII, 

82  . 

15 

x, 

85.  . 

26 

XI, 

108.  . 

2O 

XII, 

87  . 

16,  28 

x. 

86.  . 

.  21 

XII, 

or.. 

.  4O 

XII, 

88  . 

.  .27,  37 

Martial's  Wit  and  Humor 


53 


Book.  Epigram. 

XII,  89  .... 

Page  of 
Thesis. 

.  .  II,  21 

Book.  Epigram. 

XIV,   25  

Page  of 
Thesis. 

II 

Book.  Epigram. 

XIV,    137  

Page  of 
Thesis 

.    21 

XII,  90  .... 

.  .  l6,  24 

XIV,    35  

.    ^4 

XIV,    154 

2O 

XII,  92  .... 
XII,  94  .... 

XIII,  2 

.  .18,  27 

13,  39 

7Q 

XIV,    69  

XIV,     120.  ... 

XIV,    124 

28 
42 
26 

XIV,    196  

XIV,     210  

XIV     219 

....    23 
....    26 
I* 

XIV,  10.  . 

.    18 

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